Good news for Atmakur farmers

Nellore: Here is a good news for the farmers of Atmakur constituency cultivating crops under Somasila Reservoir, as the government has allocated Rs 185 crore for repairing the canals including Somasila North Feeder Canal (SNFC), Anam Sanjeevareddy High level Canal (ASHLC) in Atmakur and Kavali constituencies, to supply agriculture water to the farmers.

It may be recalled that Irrigation Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu visited Somasila Reservoir on July 14 and noticed the damaged condition of Apron at Somasila Dam, poor maintenance of shutter gates and rope of the reservoir.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited Somasila Project as part of Praja Vedika Programme on August 19 and assured to sanction Rs 140 crore. As per the assurance, the government has allocated Rs 180 crore and another Rs 8.5 crore for land acquisition purpose for comprehensive development of Somasila, in the current budget. These funds would be released on priority basis, initially Rs 5.4 crore for repairing Apron Wall at Somasila project. The second priority reportedly will be given for the construction of SNFC and later ASHLC in a phased manner.

It these two projects are completed in two years, farmers of Ananthasagaram, Atmakur, Marripadu, AS Peta, Kaligiri, Kondapuram, Dagadarthi, Jaladanki, Sangam, Kaluvaya, Chejerla, Pidalakuru, Nellore Rural, Kodavaluru, Bogole, Kaligiri and Kavali will have irrigation water and Nellore city and Kavali town will have drinking water.

A farmer from Ananthasagaram mandal G Kondareddy told The Hans India that despite Somasila Reservoir is in their mandal, farmers of Ananthasagaram are unable to secure water for agriculture operations following the designing of the project. He said If SNFC completed, their problem will be solved.

Somasila Reservoir was proposed to be constructed across Pennar river at Somasila village and the then CM Jalagam Vengala Rao had laid foundation stone on June 4, 1975. It was completed with a storage capacity of around 78 tmcft providing irrigation water to around 5.4 lakh acres in Nellore district.