Krishna water irrigates parched lands

Tirupati: The decades-old dream of farmers in the drought-prone Madanapalli division of Chittoor district has finally become a reality as Krishna water entered the district near Bonthapalli of Pedda Tippa Samudram through lifts as part of the Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanti phase-II project.

This will help the farmers to irrigate their lands. For the last 15 days, water resource department officials have been pumping water from Kadiri Cherlopalli reservoir to Chittoor district through HNSS Punganur main branch canal.

It may be noted that CM N Chandrababu Naidu had assured the district farmers that the government would bring Krishna water to the district before February. The Water Resource Department officials have been working round-the-clock to bring the water to the Chittoor district.

Tirupati HNNS Chief Engineer R Murali Nath Reddy has been supervising the speedy completion of works like pumping of water from Anantapur district to the Madanapalli division of HNSS main canal. Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanti (HNSS), which was conceptualised by the former Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh N T Rama Rao, was put on back burner by successive chief ministers.

In 2006, former Chief Minister Dr YS Rajashekar Reddy had resumed the HNSS projects works and allocated funds but the works were not taken up with seriousness. After the bifurcation of the state, the present TDP government fixed a deadline and completed the works in time.

So far due to unavailability of irrigation water, thousands of farmers in the Madanapalli left their lands as barren and migrated to Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other cities as labourers and or domestic helps for livelihood.

A few farmers went to Kerala in search of work and turned into beggars. Keeping the socio-economic conditions of the district in view, the state government had decided to expedite the works on the HNSS and released funds liberally. So far, the state government has spent Rs 10,000 crore on HNSS project –II. In the first phase, water would be pumped to the Pedda Thippa Samudram mandal minor irrigation tanks.

Later, along the Punganur main branch canal up to Rama Kuppam in the Kuppam constituency. More than 200 tanks would get water for irrigation. According to Water Resource Department sources, by the end of February, Krishna water would reach the Kuppam constituency.

More than 1.5 lakh hectare drylands will get water, in addition to drinking water to Madanapalli and Punganur towns. Industries minister N Amaranath Reddy and district collector PS Pradyumana visited the Peddatippa Samudram HNSS-II water pumping station and performed Jala Harathi.