The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Four Chief Ministers do their bit for AMC Project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Four Chief Ministers do their bit for AMC Project

Special Correspondent

Foundation for project laid by NTR in Nallamala forest

HYDERABAD: The Srisailam Left Bank Canal or Alimineti Madhav Reddy Canal Project in Nalgonda district, which was dedicated to the nation on Tuesday, is the result of efforts made by four Chief Ministers.

After a persistent demand from the people of Nalgonda for a permanent solution to drought and fluorosis, the project was conceived to draw 30 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of surplus waters of the Krishna with the Srisailam reservoir as the source. Former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao laid the foundation in the Nallamala forest about 20 km upstream of the Srisailam dam.

Canal excavation

He had stretches of the canal excavated in the plain areas of the district, pending drilling of a 43-km tunnel through the Nallamala ranges designed to bring the Srisailam waters out. The tunnel, however, was abandoned later due to difficulty in getting Central clearances, huge cost involved and the long gestation before any benefit comes in.

Key provision

During his tenure, another former Chief Minister, K. Vijayabhaskara Reddy, added a provision of drinking water supply to Hyderabad. He laid the foundation for the construction of a big lift at Sunkesula to draw backwaters of Nagarjunasagar instead. Funds were pumped in to lay the pipeline to Akkampalli, a balancing reservoir of the canal project and for drinking water to Hyderabad.

Naidu's role

N. Chandrababu Naidu converted the canal project into a lift scheme to irrigate 2.2 lakh acres and completed it with intake structures at Puttamgandi independent of Sunkesula lift. His successor, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, in turn, completed the remaining part of the canal along with distributaries required to take water to the fields.

Now, he has also taken up the tunnel link (43 km) to draw Srisailam waters.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh