ONGOLE: N G Ranga Foundation president Bandlamudi Subba Rao will begin 200-km padayatra on Thursday demanding that the State Government take up second phase of Nagarjuna Sagar project to benefit chronically drought-affected and upland areas of Nellore and Prakasam districts.

He will start his marathon walk from Musi rivulet (between Darsi and Podili in Prakasam district) at 10 am and reach Somasila in Nellore district on January 23. He will stop at Kanigiri, Pamur, Anantasagaram, Marripudi, Duddalur for night halts.

Support

Speaking to newspersons here on Wednesday, Mr Subba Rao said Congress, TDP, CPI, CPI(M) and BJP leaders from coastal areas had agreed to lend their support to his agitation to help the region get its due share in Krishna waters. Senior leaders Pinnamaneni Koteswara Rao, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, Mandali Budha Prasad from Krishna district, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Kasu Krishna Reddy, Ummareddy Venkateswarlu from Guntur district, several MLAs and former MLAs from Prakasam and Nellore districts had agreed to participate in the agitation programme, he said. M Venkaiah Naidu (BJP), B V Raghavulu (CPM), K Narayana (CPI) too expressed their support.

Mr Subba Rao said the second phase of Nagarjuna Sagar Project would provide water to nearly five lakh acres in the most backward regions of Prakasam and Nellore districts. It was the only project that was allocated assured waters but abandoned midway. He pointed out that Nagarjuna Sagar right canal was originally envisaged to carry 20,000 cusecs of water and join Penna river at Somasila. The right head sluice was constructed to this capacity and main canal was also excavated to this capacity upto the 56th mile.

But it was later decided to take the canal only up to Musi river in Prakasam district in the first phase and extend it later to Somasila in the second phase due to financial constraints even though water was allotted for the entire ayacut. The second phase was never taken up dashing the hopes of parched areas, he said.

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