VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu will tour Markapuram district on Saturday and participate in various programmes in the Yerragondapalem and Giddalur constituencies. He will inspect the Veligonda Project works before taking part in the Sanjeevani programme in Giddalur constituency.
The Veligonda Project is of immense importance to the districts of Markapuram, Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa. Once completed, it will provide irrigation to 4.47 lakh acres and drinking water to 15.25 lakh people across 30 mandals in the four districts. The project is also expected to provide a permanent solution to the decades-old fluoride problem in the region.
The project is being executed in two stages. While Stage 1 envisages to provide irrigation to 1.19 lakh acres and drinking water to 4 lakh people, Stage 2 will address irrigation needs of 3.28 lakh acres and supply drinking water to 11.25L people.
The government has already spent more than Rs 5,000 crore on Stage I. Excavation of Tunnel-I, spanning nearly 19 km, along with the exit channel and Link Channel works, has been completed. The feeder canal, Teegaleru Main Canal and Gottipadi Main Canal works have also been completed.
Construction of the two head regulators, tunnel lining, approach channel and Eastern Main Canal is in the final stages. The government has so far spent `190 crore on Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R).