Balaji reservoir will be completed by June 2018: Devineni

Tirupati: The minister for water resources Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao inspected Balaji reservoir works near Renigunta, which is the integral part of the GaleruNagariSujalaSravanthi (GNSS) on Saturday and asked the officials to expedite the works to complete it by June 2018. The reservoir is being built with three tmcft capacity under which one tmcft is earmarked as drinking water to Tirupati and Tirumala.

The Minister spoke to the DFO and asked him to approve the forest clearances at an early date in order to speed up the project works. Speaking to the media, he said that CM Chandrababu Naidu is committed to completing all the irrigation projects.

Through lifting the water from Somasila-Swarnamukhi to Mallemadugu reservoir, it will reach Balaji reservoir. With the interlinkage of Godavari-Penna and Godavari-Somasila all areas will get water, he said. Later, he held a review with the engineers and other officials on the progress of works. Bund works of 3.3 km have to be completed for the reservoir of which 1.7 km is non-forest area.

Land acquisition for this area was cleared. There is a forest area of 1.2 kilometres for which stage one uploads of forest clearances are in progress. Once this is completed project will be completed said D Radha Krishna Murthy, Executive Engineer of Water resources department.

He said, the central water commission (CWC) also approved one tmcft assured drinking water from the project. As the population of the pilgrim city is growing, the project would be a boon to meet the drinking water needs, he maintained.