The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Hundri-Neeva project

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Sunday, Sep 12, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Hundri-Neeva project - a distant dream?

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL, SEPT. 11. Water is more important for Anantapur district and parts of Pathikonda in Kurnool district than any other area in the State. The worst kind of drought conditions and acute drinking water shortages are witnessed in this belt every year.

The Hundri-Neeva project which at aimed to supplying water to upland areas of Kurnool and Anantapur district appears to be a distant dream. The canal is intended to supply 5 tmcft for drinking and 35 tmcft for irrigation by lifting water from Srisailam reservoir. The lifting starts at 254 metre level, but it has to be pumped to the level of 750 metre level, which is nearly half a kilometre in height. In one way it is like making the canal flow reverse.

Project split into two

Also, the Hundri-Neeva project is split into two parts -- drinking water and irrigation. For implementing the second phase, the entire first stage system has to be modified at a huge cost. The drinking water scheme alone costs Rs. 1,500 to 2,000 crores and takes 10 years for completion if every thing goes well. The project will have an enormous recurring cost in the form of power consumption for water pumping.

To overcome all the difficulties, a technically more viable Tungabhadra parallel canal is mooted. The project requires greater cooperation from Karnataka. Digging a parallel canal along the High Level Canal (HLC) in the higher contours of Karnataka will make supply of water to Anantapur and Pathikonda feasible. The TB dam is located at a height of 500 metres from mean sea level and most of the areas intended to be irrigated with Hundri-Neeva waterfall below the level.

The Deputy Executive Engineer, Subbarayudu, working in the Hundri-Neeva division at Kurnool, who worked on the idea, has said allocation to the parallel canal could be made by diverting the 40 tmcft of the KC canal. The KC canal could be supported from the Srisailam reservoir. About two-third area of KC canal could be irrigated from the water of Srisailam reservoir. Only the area in head reach requires supply from the head sluice at Sunkesula.

Allocation

The allocation for KC canal in the Srisailam could be made from the savings accrued by construction of Pulichintala project and diversion of Godavari water for the Krishna delta. The proposal might appear to be explosive politically but technically the most viable and save huge cost. Water will flow by gravity and pumping is required at no stage.

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