Veligonda project to be inaugurated on August 31: Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the Veligonda project, conceived three decades ago to address drought in the erstwhile Prakasam district, will be inaugurated on August 31, with Phase-1 providing irrigation and drinking water benefits

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said the Veligonda project, conceived three decades ago to transform the drought-hit erstwhile Prakasam district, would be inaugurated on August 31.

Naidu said the long-standing resolve to bring Krishna River water to the drought-prone region had finally been realised.

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“The Veligonda project, conceived three decades ago to transform the drought-hit erstwhile Prakasam district, will be inaugurated on August 31,” Naidu said in a post on X.

He said that after overcoming numerous obstacles and challenges, the government was completing Phase-1 of the project through a determined effort to bring Krishna River water to the drought-hit region.

Naidu said he had laid the foundation stone for the project on March 5, 1996, when he was the CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh, and would inaugurate it himself three decades later.

He said 10.7 TMC of water would be released into Nallamala Sagar and that Markapur district would host the historic event on August 31.

Phase-1 of the project will provide irrigation water to 1.1 lakh acres, while Phase-2 will cover 3.2 lakh acres, besides supplying drinking water to lakhs of people, Naidu said.

He said the project was aimed at providing relief to people who had battled drought for generations and described Veligonda as a “garland of light” for drought-hit Markapur.

“The Veligonda waters that will begin flowing from the 31st will give wings to the development of this region. With this water, there will be life and livelihood… cultivation and prosperity,” he said.

Naidu said his government had fulfilled the long-standing demand of people in West Prakasam by creating a separate Markapur district and realising their aspiration.

He said the government would soon commence works involving investments of Rs 1 lakh crore to transform Rayalaseema and the erstwhile Prakasam district into a horticulture hub.

The region was being provided better connectivity through national highways and ports, while the Bengaluru-Amaravati highway and Ramayapatnam Port would open new avenues for commercial and industrial development, he said.

Naidu assured that a permanent solution would be found to the fluoride problem affecting West Prakasam by supplying clean drinking water through tap connections to every household.

He said that with a firm resolve to transform people’s lives and eliminate backwardness, Krishna River water was being brought from Srisailam Mallanna to the abode of Markapuram Chennakesava.

Naidu also called upon citizens to work with the spirit of “I”, achieve personal success and become partners in nation-building.

The completion of the Veligonda Project will give a major boost to the backward areas of Markapur district by meeting drinking-water needs, supporting irrigation in drought-prone regions and ensuring water availability for the industrial zones of Donakonda and Kanigiri.