VIJAYAWADA: The coalition government will take up the construction of the Vaikuntapuram Barrage near Damuluru and a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) with the latest escalated estimates of Rs 4,000 crore has already been submitted, announced Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu.
Replying to the queries raised by legislators in the Assembly on Thursday, the minister elucidated the project’s background and significance.
The barrage, initially proposed in 2016 by the then-TDP government aimed at ensuring drinking water supply to Amaravati, Guntur and Vijayawada cities, anticipating a population of 35 lakh in Amaravati by 2050. Tenders were invited for the project with an estimate of Rs 2,169 crore and work orders were issued to Navayuga and Venkatrao Infra Construction firms in 2018, Nimmala explained.
“However, the subsequent YSRCP government abandoned the project as part of its flip-flop on the capital issue. The doubled estimates are the result of the delay caused by the previous government,” the minister asserted.
He said that the new DPR accounts for increased flood resilience, designed to withstand 15 lakh cusecs of water, based on last year’s Krishna floods which stood at 11.4 lakh cusecs of water in its peak. Nimmala revealed that the project’s multifaceted benefits have already been presented to the Chief Minister, signalling swift action to kickstart construction.
Responding to another question raised by MLAs from the Rayalaseema region, particularly the Kurnool and Nandyal districts, the water resources minister announced that the Gundrevula Reservoir Project, aimed at addressing irrigation and drinking water needs of drought-hit western Kurnool district, will be constructed in phases.
“The project aims to provide irrigation and drinking water to western Kurnool, supply drinking water to the area under Kurnool Municipal Corporation and stabilise 2.65 lakh acres under the KC Canal Ayacut. A revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) with an estimate of Rs 4,530 crore was proposed on December 24,” he explained.
He informed the members that the project, which is to be built on the Tungabhadra River at Gundrevula, requires the consent of Karnataka and Telangana.
Emphasising that he was familiar with the region’s struggle for water, Nimmala lambasted former chief minister YS Jagan for neglecting the Gundrevula Project despite calling himself a ‘son of Rayalaseema’. “Jagan did not even look at the project during his tenure as the chief minister. His misdeeds have spelt curses for us,” Nimmala remarked, pointing to Rs 16,000 crore irrigation pending dues.