Veligonda Project Aims to Deliver Water to Nallamala Sagar by August-End

Andhra Pradesh is targeting the completion of the first phase of the Veligonda Project and release of water into Nallamala Sagar by the end of August, Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu said.

Ramanaidu made the announcement during a high-level review at the Markapuram Collectorate on the progress of the project, rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R), infrastructure works and the relocation of families from submerged villages. Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and District Collector M. Vijaya Sunitha attended the meeting.

The project is expected to address the long-standing irrigation and drinking water needs of drought- and fluoride-affected areas of Rayalaseema and Prakasam district.

The minister said 80,000 cubic metres of earthwork at Kollamvagu had been completed and the channel was ready. Pending concrete works, including wings and CC walls, were completed by May 2026.

On Tunnel-2, only 150 metres of lining remains out of 19 km, while 4.9 km of benching work has been completed. Court disputes related to tunnel boring and related machinery near the 11th kilometre were resolved, enabling the removal of 1,500 metric tonnes of debris within 60 days.

In the Rs 460-crore feeder canal project, 5.1 km of CC walls and 11 km of lining have been completed.

Of the Rs 900-crore R&R package, Rs 318 crore has already been released directly to beneficiaries. Ramanaidu assured that errors in awards, names and complaints would be addressed transparently and no eligible displaced family would be denied compensation.

He also promised to take up the issue of compensation for farmers cultivating dotted lands for decades with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

With the Srisailam reservoir at around 870 feet, above the 855-foot minimum required for Veligonda diversion, the government plans to transfer about 10 TMC in 10–15 days, at roughly one TMC a day.

Ramanaidu warned that losing the current window could delay water release by over a year. He also said Veligonda could accelerate Markapuram's industrial and horticultural development, including through the proposed Rs 20,000-crore Rayalaseema Horticulture Mission.