Detailed project report in 2 months for new reservoir

Vijayawada: The detailed project report (DPR) would be ready in the next two months as per plans of the State government to construct a reservoir on River Krishna at Vaikuntapuram-Damuluru connecting Krishna and Guntur districts for providing drinking water to Amaravati capital city.

The State government has taken a decision in this regard in the recent Cabinet meeting. Actually, the government initially took a decision to construct a reservoir with a capacity of 2 tmcft to 4 tmcft for future needs of capital city. But now the higher authorities of the irrigation department have been directed to redesign by enhancing water storage capacity between 10 tmcft and 15 tmcft.

The project would be useful to store water in the river up to Pulichintala Project while water transportation can be provided up to capital city under Inland Waterways Authority of India project.

According to officials, the irrigation department is preparing designs for the reservoir. The experts of irrigation department and officials have formally come to a conclusion that river bunds are required for safety purpose especially in Krishna district.

Actually the canal bunds are in Guntur district from Repalle to Pulichintala Project. But there is no river bund from Pulichintala to Vijayawada in Krishna district. In this backdrop, the officials have decided to construct canal bund to avoid submergence threat from the reservoir.

Krishna District Irrigation Department Delta Systems engineer K Srinivas Rao said the farmers and villagers of river flow areas need not worry over submergence due to the proposed reservoir.

Speaking to The Hans India, he said the proposed river bund would protect the villages and prevent threat of submergence to fields, he said. He also said land acquisition may not be required for reservoir construction purpose.

By Patibandla Srinivas