Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanti poised for completion by year-end

Anantapur: Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanti (HNSS) aimed at irrigating 6.025 lakh acre in Rayalaseema and 3.45 lakh acre in Anantapur district alone is poised for completion by end this year. The TDP government, which first undertook the project under the leadership of former chief minister late N T Rama Rao, is now racing against time to complete the two phases of works to release water to 500-odd tanks in Rayalaseema and also for 3.45 lakh acre ayacut.

The revised project cost is Rs 11,658.357 crores. Already, Rs.4,800 crores has been spent and another Rs.2,500 crores is being spent to complete the project by July-August. Besides irrigating around six lakh acre in the region, it is designed to supply drinking water to about 33 lakh people en route the 565 km-long canal system.

The HNSS canal running a length of 565 km involves lifting of water in nine stages in phase-1 main canal and 4 stages in phase-2 with a lift height of 368.83 metre, excavation of five tunnels and building of eight reservoirs en route. The reservoirs include Krishnagiri and Pathikonda reservoirs in Kurnol district and Jeedipalle reservoir in Anantapur district with a total storage capacity of 2.973 tmc ft water.

In the second phase, Gollapalle, Cherlpalle and Marala reservoirs in Anantapur district, Srinivasapuram reservoir in Kadapa district and Adivipalle reservoir in Chittoor district with a total storage capacity of 6.102 tmc ft will be built.

The project will irrigate 80,000 acre in Kurnool, 3.45 lakh acre in Anantapur, 37,500 acre in Kadapa and 1.40 lakh acre in Chittoor district. The works of phase-1 are taken up in 23 packages and the main canal works from 3.40 km to 216.300 km up to Jeedipalle reservoir were completed and distributory works are in progress.

Under the phase-1, seven packages are nearing completion and package No 35, Jeedipalle reservoir, has been completed while distributory system works are in progress.

The phase-2 of the project involves excavation of the main canal for a length of 349 km, four lifts of 76 metre height, construction of five tunnels, three reservoirs on main canal and two 0thers on branch canal.

HNSS main canal covers 216.3 km to 490 km in Anantapur district. Also, two branch canals are covered in second phase, including Madakasira branch canal and Punganur branch canal. They provide water to 2.27 lakh acre, drinking water to 16 lakh population covering 257 villages in Anantapur district.

The HNSS canal links the Rivers Handri, Penna, Chirtravati, Papagni, Mandavya, Bahuda, Cheyyeru, Gargeya, Vedavati, Palar and many others in the Rayalaseema region. The canal is spread across Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa and Chittoor districts.

The canal feeds several reservoirs and water tanks in the region. In order to meet full requirements of drinking and irrigation water of the region, more than 50 tmc ft of water is required. More than 70 per cent of project works had been completed during the 10 year rule of the Congress while the TDP government is presiding over completion of the remaining 30 per cent and bringing it to a logical completion.

District collector Veera Pandian told 'The Hans India' that the phase-1 (220 km) of the canal up to Jeedipalle reservoir was already completed. This reservoir is located at Chinna Mushtur village in Ananthapur district and three balancing reservoirs were constructed in Phase-I including Krishnagiri (Kurnool district), Pathikonda reservoir (Kurnool district) and Jeedipalli reservoir (Anantapur district). The phase-2 (349 km) of the main canal is being constructed up to Adivipalli reservoir in Chittor district.

HNSS superintendent engineer B Sudhakar told The Hans India that the project works were progressing fast with Chief Minister being determined to give water to the Rayalaseema region and Anantapur in particular for the rabi season. If works in other districts also catch up in tune with the Chief Minister's aspiration, The HNSS will be completed by year-end, he said.

By Ravi P Benjamin