VIJAYAWADA: Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu on Friday vowed to complete the long-delayed Veligonda irrigation project by 2026, ensuring full water supply to the ayacut (command area) farmers in Prakasam district.
Addressing the officials after inspecting the project site with a team of irrigation experts, the Minister emphasised that works are progressing on a war footing under the directives of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
The inspection focused on the feeder canal, which suffered significant damage from the recent Montha cyclone and associated heavy rains. Ramanaidu observed a massive pit — approximately 100 feet long and 30 feet deep — at the 850-m mark of the canal.
He directed officials to accelerate efforts to drain out water that has infiltrated up to 9 kilometers into the twin tunnels. To safeguard against future floods, the minister instructed the approval of enhanced designs for constructing a CC (cement concrete) wall lining along the feeder canal.
He highlighted the emotional significance of the project, noting that Naidu had performed the groundbreaking ceremony nearly 30 years ago. “The Chief Minister is deeply pained that this initiative remains unfinished after so long,” Ramanaidu said, crediting the coalition government’s renewed focus for accelerating progress. He added that the entire team is committed to achieving completion, likening their efforts to tying a sacred thread for success.
The minister did not hold back criticism of the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) regime under former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He accused Reddy of stalling the project for nearly one-and-a-half years, leaving Prakasam—one of the state’s most backward and fluoride-affected districts—in the lurch.
“It’s baffling to see false narratives peddled in pro-YSRCP media, claiming the project was dedicated to the nation despite it being far from complete,” Ramanaidu remarked. In contrast, Ramanaidu highlighted the TDP-led government’s achievements during its 2014-2019 term, when Rs 1,373 crore was allocated for the project, with Rs 1,319 crore (96%) expended. Under Reddy’s tenure, he alleged, not even “a chick’s chirp” worth of progress was made on displacee compensation.
The minister also slammed the premature inauguration of the incomplete project, noting that key tasks remain, including 4.2 km of lining.