The Government has sanctioned Rs.20 crore to mitigate drinking water scarcity in Kurnool District, Telugu Desam Party MLC Silpa Chakrapani Reddy said on Friday.
Mr. Reddy told the media here that he apprised Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao of the need to declare entire Kurnool District as drought-affected, in view of the grim situation. Forty mandals were declared drought-hit earlier, he added.
The drinking water availability was grim as Velugodu balancing reservoir presently has storage of only 0.470 tmcft and Sunkesula reservoir 0.360 tmcft, the district TDP president said.
Mr. Chakrapani said that the Government had agreed to sanction Rs. 21 crore for lift-irrigation works, construction of spillways and increase the height of Velugodu balancing reservoir, which has a storage capacity of 16.95 tmcft. The reservoir could only store 13.40 tmcft now owing to negligence of officials, political interference and sub-standard works, he alleged.
The shortfall of 3.50 tmcft in storage at Velugodu Reservoir was depriving irrigation of 30,000 acres in Mahanandi, Bandi Atmakur, Nandyal and Allagadda mandal, the TDP leader said. The Government also agreed to sanction Rs.15 crore for Siddhapuram lift-irrigation scheme, which remained an election promise for decades. Ten kilometers of pipeline works and stages I and II pump houses would be built.
Tenders would be called for Rajolibanda diversion scheme works within three months. The Government had sanctioned Rs. 3.09 crore for survey work. The Muchumarri lift-irrigation scheme would be completed by June.
He was critical of former Union Minister of State for Railways Kotla Jayasuryaprakash Reddy and Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi president Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy for accusing the Government of failing to develop Rayalaseema region and merely concentrating on the State capital, Amaravati.
TDP district general secretary Y. Nageswara Rao Yadav, District Cooperative Central Bank Chairman M. Mallikarjuna Reddy and others participated.
‘Tenders will be called for Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme in three months’
