Remote chances of HNSS water to Kuppam

Due to lack of water reserves in the Srisailam Reservoir, it is learnt that it will be a miracle if water is being supplied to Kuppam through HNSS branch canal

Chittoor: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu categorically gave an assurance that the waters from HNSS would be diverted to Kuppam Assembly constituency on or before September 16 during his recent maiden visit to Kuppam.

There has been a serious effort also in this regard and the entire engineering personnel of HNSS were said to be working day and night to keep up the promise of the Chief Minister. Due to lack of water reserves in the Srisailam Reservoir, besides incompletion of certain lift irrigation schemes between Punganur and Kuppam,

it is learnt officially that it would be a miracle if water was supplied to Kuppam through HNSS Kuppam branch canal from this year, it is felt. As Karnataka is said to be obstructing the release of Krishna waters from check dams, it is learnt Srisailam Project is trailing behind in the receiving of water allocation.

Out of the earmarked outlay of Rs 434 crore for Kuppam Branch canal, Rs345 crore worth of works have been completed. Between Punganur and Kuppam, three lift irrigation schemes are yet to be completed for diverting HNSS water through Kuppam branch canal. There are certain land acquisition litigations still to be resolved for completing the project.

More than 100 acres of land is yet to be acquired. In addition to it, the Government must release more than Rs 130 crore for completion of all the works relating to the Kuppam branch canal. An official spokesman made it clear that it was not possible to supply water to Kuppam this year through HNSS Kuppam branch canal.

The Chief Minister is said to be particular to supply 2 TMC water through Kuppam Branch canal while the project engineers have designed the canal for diverting only 1 tmc ft water. Speaking to The Hans India here on Thursday, Ramakrishna, senior engineer, Minor Irrigation Department, admitted that it would be a touch task to supply water to Kuppam from HNSS Kuppam branch canal during September as per promise of CM.

District Collector PS Pradyumna has alerted the authorities through a video-conference on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday for early completion of work relating to HNSS Kuppam Branch Canal.

He said, “Surplus water from Narayanapur and Jurala irrigation projects should reach Srisailam Reservoir. Hence, it would take at least another six months to supply water to Kuppam in the prevailing circumstances.”

He reiterated that all the officials of Engineering department were working day and night to facilitate HNSS water to Kuppam at the earliest. Hence it is very clear that there was no chance of supplying drinking water to Kuppam during the year through HNSS Kuppam branch canal, he added.