ANANTAPUR : Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that water through the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project will be released by July 10, and `3,873 crore is being spent for 554 km-long canal widening, and lining works under Phase-1 and 2.
He inspected the HNSS works at the ground-level at Chayapuram of Uravakonda in Anantapur district on Friday.
Later taking part in the Praja Vedika, Naidu regretted that the project works came to a standstill due to the negligent attitude adopted by the previous government, and said the works are moving at a fast pace after the TDP-led NDA came to power.
He felt that once the Polavaram-Banakacherla is complete, the entire Rayalaseema region will completely come out of the drought and every acre in the State will get irrigation water.
Former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao who saw the opportunity to utilise the surplus water of the State, changed the fate of Rayalaseema by getting the projects like Handri - Neeva, Galeru - Nagari and Telugu Ganga, Naidu said. “After I became the Chief Minister, I have done everything possible for the region. Whenever I visit this district I hear some sort of a whistle sound, and people gather in large numbers to say Zindabad,” he said.
Making it clear that he has decided to completely change the topography of Anantapur, the Chief Minister said compensation was paid to farmers for crop loss when the local leaders brought the matter to his notice.
Recalling how he bailed out the region from deep water crisis, Naidu said he has already promised to make Rayalaseema the land of pearls while the people called it as a land of stones, and thus the people from the region gave a record verdict to the NDA.
Maintaining that anything is possible only if there is water facility, the Chief Minister said he issued the GO within one hour of making a promise that the Handri-Neeva project canal will be widened.
“At the same time, I have already completed 37% of the project works,” he said and highlighted how he was successful in getting Kia Motors to Anantapur.
Pointing out that Rs 70,000 crore was spent for irrigation between 2014 and 2019, and of which Rs 12,441 crore for Rayalaseema alone, including Rs 4,200 crore for Handri-Neeva, the Chief Minister said arrangements are on to get 40 TMC feet of water, and the works will be completed this season itself. Gollapalli-Madakasira branch canal works too have been completed. As many as 512 agencies are working for Handri-Neeva project, he highlighted.
Once the phase-1 of this project is completed, a total of 1,98,000 acres, including 77,094 acres in Kurnool, 2,906 acres in Nandyal, and 1,18,000 acres in Anantapur will get irrigation water.
Under phase-2, a total of 4,04,500 acres will get irrigation facility, which will totally improve the financial condition of farmers of the drought-prone region, he said.
Announcing the sanction of a textile park for Uravakonda, he said funds are being sanctioned for a bridge at Gottipadu and the Kottalapalli lift irrigation scheme.
Prior to addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to the soul of Army Jawan Murali Naik, who lost his life during Operation Sindoor.