VIJAYAWADA: HRD Minister Nara Lokesh fulfilled the decades-long dream of the people of the Mahanadu area in Tadepalli of Mangalagiri Assembly constituency as he laid the foundation stone for the construction of a retaining wall at Seethanagaram Mahanadu in Tadepalli town on Monday.
A flood protection wall will be constructed on the right side of the Krishna River, from 0.9 km to 2.610 km downstream of Prakasam Barrage in Tadepalli, at a cost of Rs 294.20 crore.
The project, which had been pending for decades, secured administrative approval worth Rs 294.20 crore within just one year, and the tender process was also completed.
Keeping future heavy floods in mind, the retaining wall will be constructed with a strong design capable of withstanding a water flow of up to 15 lakh cusecs.
Instead of a regular wall, the structure will include 1,920 piles driven 26 to 38 metre deep into the ground, using pile-raft technology to withstand earthquakes and strong water currents.
Once the retaining wall is completed, nearly 50,000 residents living in low-lying areas such as Sundarayya Nagar and Mahanadu Colony will be permanently protected from flood threats. The wall will also serve as protection for key areas within the Amaravati and National Highway 65.
Lokesh also inaugurated a newly constructed community hall in Nulakapeta in Tadepalli town of Mangalagiri constituency. The hall was built with Rs 65 lakh in CSR funds with support from Srirangam Foundation.
He also inaugurated the High-Level Canal Lift Irrigation Scheme at Pedavadlapudi village in Mangalagiri mandal. He inaugurated the project, built at a cost of Rs 14.88 crore. With a discharge capacity of about 250 cusecs, the scheme will provide irrigation water to 25,344 acres of land in Mangalagiri, Tenali, and Ponnur constituencies. Four pumps have been installed to lift the water.
Apart from inaugurating the reconstructed rural library building at Penumooli in Duggirala mandal, Lokesh also inaugurated an Anna Canteen in Duggirala. The new building for the canteen was constructed with funds of `61 lakh.
After inaugurating the Anna Canteen, the minister visited the Sri Kodanda Ramachandra Swamy Temple, where he offered prayers and performed special rituals.
Lokesh unveiled a statue of TDP founder president NTR and paid floral tributes to the statues of NTR and BR Ambedkar, at Revendrapadu in Duggirala mandal.