Work will begin soon on seven lift irrigations schemes in Anantapur, Guntur and Krishna districts to create an additional ayacut of 34,209 acres and stabilise 22,323 acres at an estimated cost of ₹1,824 crore, Minister Water Resources Devineni Umamaheswara Rao has said.
Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said administrative sanction had been given to two major Lift Irrigation Schemes of the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) to create an additional ayacut in Anantapur district.
Water is lifted from the Srisailam foreshore to the HNSS. Work on widening the HNSS main canal increasing its capacity to 3,800 cusecs right up to the Jeedipalli Reservoir at an estimated cost of ₹832.91 crore was already under progress, the Minister said. Administrative sanction had been given to lift water from the Jeedipalli Reservoir, he said.
While both schemes would lift water from the Jeedipalli Reservoir, one would pump it to the Upper Pennar Project and the second to the Bhairavanithippa Project, he explained.
Two reservoirs planned
Two reservoirs, one near Somaravandlapalli and another near Puttakanuma village, were being planned as part of the Upper Pennar Project. Several Irrigation tanks en route the project would also be filled by this scheme, the Minister said.
Administrative sanction of ₹17.24 crore had been given for the Penuganchiprolu Lift Irrigation Scheme on the Munneru River in Penuganchiprolu mandal in Krishna district. This project would create an additional ayacut of 2,466 acres.
Sanction of ₹36.15 crore was also given for four small lift irrigation schemes in Guntur district. Mulakunduru 2 scheme had been sanctioned₹ 4.91 crore, Nanduru scheme ₹10.84 crore, Nidubrolu scheme ₹11.38 crore and Vaddimukkala scheme ₹9.4 crore, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said.
