Ongole: Centre urged to include Veligonda in approved project list

Ongole: The speakers at the roundtable meeting organised by the CPI Prakasam district unit on 'Krishna water- Future of Prakasam district' demanded the state and the Central governments to convince the Jal Shakti department to list the Veligonda project under approved projects list and release the necessary funds for its speedy completion.

In the roundtable meet at Mallaiah Lingam Bhavan in Ongole, CPI State executive committee member PJ Chandrasekhar said that the district will become a desert soon if the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project, which is under construction is not brought in the approved list. He said that injustice was being done to the Prakasam district with the non-recognition of the project that was already completed by 70 per cent, and also listed in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.

He said that the water to the Srisailam itself is uncertain as Karnataka is increasing the height of Almatti project, but the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States are quarrelling over political gains. He said that the public is at the losing end in the power game being played between the Chief Ministers of the two Telugu states. He said that the Union government wants to take advantage of the dispute between the two States and requested the Chief Ministers to sit and settle the issue once for all.

He said that the Pattiseema water is the only dependable source for the State as of now, but its fate is also unsure in future. He demanded the government to take up the second phase works of the Nagarjuna Sagar right canal and provide irrigation and drinking water to the district. He wanted the government to take necessary steps to include the Veligonda project in the approved projects list, and warned that all parties in the district will build an agitation in a phased manner.

CPI district secretary ML Narayana said that the people from the district are being migrated regularly as they lack irrigation and drinking water. He said that only 23 per cent of the land in the district is being cultivated on surface water and demanded the government to complete the second phase of the Nagarjuna Sagar canal works at least now, as the water may be limited to Kurichedu only in future. Congress State vice-president Sripati Prakasam said that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is treating Andhra Pradesh as Pakistan. KCR should behave like the Chief Minister and shun disputes with Andhra Pradesh, he opined.