Letters have been sent to N. Chandrababu Naidu (Telugu Desam), K. Chiranjeevi (Praja Rajyam), K. Narayana (CPI), B. V. Raghavulu (CPI-M) and other Opposition leaders along with background material as part of a consultation process taken up to frame the contents of the petition.
After discussions with Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy here on Friday, Major Irrigation Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy said the views of intellectuals and experts would also be elicited at a meeting being convened soon. If necessary, an all-party meeting too would be held.
Mr Reddy said as the Technical Advisory Committee of the Union Water Resources Ministry had approved the revised cost of Polavaram project (Rs 16,010 crore), steps would be taken re-start its works at the earliest. The Chief Minister asked officials not to wait till Central clearances were secured for the Pranahita-Chevella project in Telangana and to ensure that water was released under the Hundri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) in Rayalaseema Phase I by the next khariff.
The Chief Minister wanted coverage of 80,000 acres in Kurnool district out of 1.9 lakh-acre ayacut planned under HNSS Phase I in different districts. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, secretary, Irrigation (Rayalaseema) said senior officials would be sent to Anantapur resolve the issues pending with implementing agencies and avoid delay in lifting water from Srirailam reservoir from Malyala in Kurnool district to Jeedipalli in Anantapur district.
A sum of Rs 2,000 crore has been spent on the Rs 2,700 crore HNSS Phase I. Another Rs 2,000 crore has been spent on the Rs 4,000-crore HNSS II which is taken up to irrigate 2.75 lakh acres in Anantapur, Kadapa and Chittoor districts and which is slated for completion in two years.
