District Collector K. Sasidhar and Congress MLA of Jammalamadugu C. Adinarayana Reddy released Krishna water from Owk reservoir in Kurnool district into Gandikota reservoir near the Lingapuram Sugali thanda (hamlet) in Mylavaram mandal in Kadapa district on Saturday.
They performed pooja before releasing water through the Lingapuram tunnel. Engineers were lauded for constructing the tunnel in a scientific manner. The Collector assured the families displaced through the project that they would be compensated under the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation scheme. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy agreed to storing five tmc. of water at a meeting in Hyderabad and said he would visit Gandikota reservoir after it gets storage of three tmc., Mr. Sasidhar said.
Four villages will be submerged if water is stored up to the 204 metre contour. Four deputy collectors were deputed to hold discussions with the displaced families and resolve their problems. Mr. Adinarayana Reddy recalled former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s assertion that Gandikota reservoir was the lifeline for Rayalaseema. Out of the reservoir’s total capacity of 27 tmc., four tmc. will be stored in Mylavaram reservoir. Thanking the Chief Minister, he said the government would examine the representations of the displaced persons and render justice to them. Chief Engineer of Irrigation, Ravisankar, said Pennar river was linked to Krishna river by engineers facilitating release of Krishna water from Owk reservoir to Gandikota reservoir on the initiative of the District Collector and the MLA. Gandikota reservoir will get three tmc. water by October 20.
Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanthi Special Collector M.V. Subba Reddy, SE (Projects) Ramana Murthy, SE of Minor Irrigation Ramesh Babu, Jammalamadugu RDO G. Raghunatha Reddy, GNSS DE Raghunatha Reddy, former mandal president Alle Prabhavathi, officials and non-officials participated.
