Naidu accelerates Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project completion

Malakavemula: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is taking special initiatives to expedite the completion of the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project, considered the lifeline of Rayalaseema, said State Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Ramanaidu during a review held on Friday. As part of his district tour, the Minister inspected the main canal works of the HNSS project in Malakavemula, Dharmavaram constituency, accompanied by Joint Collector Abhishek Kumar and Irrigation Advisor Venkateswara Rao. Speaking at the review meeting, the Minister said the government has allocated Rs 3,873 crore for canal lining and widening works under Phase I and II, covering a total stretch of 554 km. Phase I includes works worth Rs 696 crore, while Phase II involves Rs 1,256 crore for the HNSS main canal (Km 216 to Km 400) and Punganur Branch Canal (Km 0 to Km 75). Another Rs 480 crore is allocated for further extension works (Km 75 to Km 207), which began in January 2025.

Phase I: 1,98,000 acres – Kurnool (77,094), Nandyal (2,906), and Anantapur (1,18,000) districts.

Phase II: 4,04,500 acres – Anantapur (33,617), Sri Sathya Sai (1,93,383), Kadapa (37,500), and Chittoor (1,40,000) districts.

In total, 6,02,500 acres across the undivided districts of Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa, and Chittoor will receive irrigation water. Additionally, the project is set to supply drinking water to 33 lakh people across 81 mandals. The Minister emphasized the importance of maintaining quality standards and directed officials to continuously monitor the progress. The canal’s widening is expected to enhance water-carrying capacity to 3,850 cusecs, with the first phase targeted for completion within the next month. Also present during the inspection were RDO Mahesh, Chief Engineer Nagaraju, engineers Swaroop Kumar, Murali, Srinivasulu, and Venkateswarlu, among others.