Paritala Ravindra Upper Pennar lift irrigation scheme relaunched

Anantapur: A long-cherished dream for the drought-hit Ramagiri mandal in Raptadu constituency has been revived with the resumption of works on the Paritala Ravindra Upper Pennar Lift Irrigation Scheme. This project aims to supply Krishna river waters to the Peruru reservoir in Ramagiri mandal.

On Sunday, Raptadu MLA Paritala Sunitha and Dharmavaram TDP in-charge Paritala Sriram inaugurated the resumed works at P Kothapalli Pump House-2 in Atmakuru mandal. They were joined by alliance leaders, party workers, officials, and hundreds of enthusiastic farmers who welcomed them with garlands, firecrackers, and festive fervor.

The Upper Pennar project, built at Peruru with a storage capacity of 1.81 TMC, covers an ayacut of over 10,000 acres. Late Minister Paritala Ravindra had long advocated for water supply to this region, but it remained unfulfilled then. In 2018, under Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the scheme was sanctioned with Rs 804 crore funding on Ravindra's death anniversary and named after him. It includes a 54-km canal from Jeedipalli to Peruru, four lifts, 112 structures, and reservoirs at Somaravandlapalli and Puttakanuma.

Works began in 2018, with some progress—including 45 km of canal completed—and land acquired from generous farmers, who received partial compensation. However, the project was halted after the YSRCP government took power, with designs altered, reservoirs scrapped, and progress stalled, allegedly out of political vendetta.

MLA Sunitha credited CM Chandrababu Naidu for restarting the scheme, fulfilling a pre-election promise. She assured completion within a year, full compensation for land donors, and urged farmers' cooperation. Sriram described it as a festival for the region, noting Naidu's personal interest since his pre-2014 padayatra. He highlighted the project's potential to deliver 3.5 TMC of water, ending chronic drought and enabling better livelihoods and education.