VISAKHAPATNAM: Water from the Tandava Reservoir was released on Sunday to irrigate the ayacut in Anakapalle and Kakinada districts. Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha performed puja before opening the reservoir gates. Jalaharati was also offered.
Addressing the gathering, Ayyanna Patrudu said the reservoir would provide irrigation water to 51,465 acres, including 32,689 acres in Anakapalle, and 18,776 acres in Kakinada.
He noted that repairs and development works worth Rs 8 crore had been taken up last year. The reservoir, with a full capacity of 4.96 TMC, currently holds 2.92 TMC, which is sufficient for 60 days of irrigation.
Under the Home Minister’s initiative, Rs 2.10 crore from the Disaster Relief Fund was used for 18 development works, and Rs 4.20 crore was sanctioned for 57 more works, of which 30 have been completed. Plans are afoot to construct a road from Nathavaram to the reservoir at a cost of Rs 8 crore.
The Home Minister said the reservoir benefits farmers in Tuni, Payakaraopet and Narsipatnam Assembly constituencies, providing water to 50,000 acres.