Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday laid the foundation stone for the ₹459 crore Somasila High-Level Canal Phase-2 project over a video conference facility.

The project will enable irrigation of 46,453 acres in the Prakasham and Nellore districts apart from providing drinking water through creation of balancing reservoirs, gravity canals, and pump stations.

Reiterating that irrigation is a priority sector for the Government, the Chief Minister said “the State will take up projects and ensure a balanced regional development like the three capital concept.”

He said “Polavaram would be completed by kharif of 2022 and dedicated to the nation.”

“After reverse tendering about ₹68 crore has been saved and we brought down the cost to ₹459 crore and the project works are being done on a war footing,” he said.

To address the drought related concerns in Rayalaseema, the Government initiated the Rayalaseema Drought Mitigation Project with an outlay of ₹40,000 crore and the ₹15,000 crore North Andhra Sujala Sravanthi project and the tenders for first phase will be invited.

He said that the YSR Palanadu Karuvu Nivarana (Drought Mitigation) project along with Chintalapudi lift irrigation and two other projects on lower Krishna and one on the upper Krishna River are being taken up on a priority basis.

The Chief Minister said that six irrigation projects — Vamsadhara phase 2, Vamsadhara-Nagavali interlinking, Veligonda reservoir, Owk tunnel, Sangam barrage, and Nellore barrage works would be completed in 2021.

The Sangam barrage and Nellore barrage works will be completed by January 2021.

The Chief Minister stated works related to the Somasila-Kandaleru and Somasila-Rallapdu projects will be initiated with an outlay of ₹918 crore and ₹632 crore, respectively.

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