VIJAYAWADA: The TDP-led NDA government’s proactive measures and swift decision-making have ushered in a new era of water prosperity for Rayalaseema. The expansion works of the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) Phase-1 canal have been successfully completed, transforming the region’s agricultural and drinking water landscape.
On July 17, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will release water into the expanded canal at the Malyala Pumping Station in Nandikotkur mandal of Nandyal district.
The coalition government has achieved the target of completing the Phase-1 canal expansion within 100 days as promised. With an investment of `696 crore, the canal’s flow capacity has been enhanced to 3,850 cusecs, enabling an additional 1,600 cusecs of water to be transported.
This upgrade facilitates the filling of the Jeedipalli Reservoir to its full capacity, ensuring irrigation facility for agricultural lands, and drinking water for 33 lakh people across Kurnool, Anantapur and Chittoor districts.
The 216-km canal expansion from Malyala to Jeedipalli will also fill local water bodies, including reservoirs in Jeedipalli, Krishnagiri, Pattikonda and Gajuldinne, boosting groundwater levels in Rayalaseema. By the end of this month, water will reach Kuppam and Punganur branch canals, further extending its benefits.
The Phase-1 canal’s capacity has increased from 2,200 cusecs to 3,850 cusecs, allowing the region to utilise its allocated 40 TMC of floodwater this year—the first time in 12 years.
Phase 1 will irrigate 2,906 acres in Nandyal, 77,094 acres in Kurnool, and 1,18,000 acres in Anantapur. Phase 2 will extend irrigation to 2.27 lakh acres in Anantapur, 37,500 acres in Kadapa, and 1.40 lakh acres in Chittoor, while providing drinking water to 33 lakh people.
The Water Resources Department completed the Phase-1 expansion in just 100 days, starting in April 2025. The government has allocated `3,890 crore for Phases 1 and 2 to address Rayalaseema’s water challenges. During 2014-19, the then TDP government sanctioned `4,317 crore, and completed 47% of the HNSS canal expansion works. However, progress stalled from 2019 to 2024 under the previous administration. The coalition government revived the project, completing Phase-1 and planning to finalise Phase-2 by the end of July to deliver water to the tail-end ayacut in Punganur and Kuppam.