PARVATHIPURAM-MANYAM/SRIKAKULAM: The long-cherished dreams of farmers in Srikakulam and Parvathipuram-Manyam are likely to come true as the government sanctions Rs 641.10 crore to build the Neradi barrage and its allied works across the River Vamsadhara.
The Water Resources Department issued orders stipulating that land acquisition, rehabilitation, and resettlement costs must be within the sanctioned estimate.
Vamsadhara River, which originates in Kalahandi district of Odisha, flows 154 km in Odisha and 82 km in AP before joining the Bay of Bengal.
The Vamsadhara Water Dispute Tribunal (WDT) allotted 57.5 TMC feet of water to Odisha and the remaining 57.5 TMC feet to Andhra Pradesh, and directed the AP government to construct the Neradi barrage with a right sluice and pay compensation for 106 acres of land, which belongs to Odisha, as per the Land Acquisition Act.The TDP-led NDA coalition government focused on the Neradi barrage issue after came in to power in 2024 elections.
The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has issued a gazette notification and constituted a four-member supervisory committee to oversee implementation of the final verdict delivered by VWDT on 21 June 2021. The TDP led NDA coalition government has prioritised the construction of Neradi barrage, and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu allocated Rs 641 crore to fast-track its construction.
Therefore, Vamsadhara project engineers have initiated consultations with the Odisha administration on land acquisition, reviving hopes among farmers across the Srikakulam and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts.
Speaking to TNIE, Vamsadhara Project Committee Chairman Aravala Ravindra said the Central Gazette notification on the Vamsadhara water-sharing dispute with Odisha is a historic turning point.
Now Andhra Pradesh government has given administrative sanction with Rs 641 crore for the construction of the barrage at Neradi, he stated.
Noting that the farming community and the general public had waited nearly 55 years for the project to become a reality, this project will dawn of a new chapter for the district.
I hope this project will provide steady irrigation to thousands of acres across the ayacut, significantly boost regional crop yield and agricultural income of the farmers of this region, and secure long-term water stability and prosperity for the district.
The Neradi Project is not merely an engineering structure, it is a historic milestone destined to secure the future of Srikakulam’s farming community.
