Dornala: CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy dedicates 2 tunnels of Veligonda project to nation

Dornala : Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy dedicated the two tunnels of the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project and its reservoir, Nallamala Sagar, to the nation on Wednesday.

He inaugurated a pylon at a ceremony held at Kotturu, the project site in Dornala mandal of Yerragondapalem Assembly constituency and assured the oustees of the project to make payment for land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement packages in his next term, in three months.

After reaching the PS Veligonda project site in a helicopter, the Chief Minister inaugurated the plaques and went through a photo exhibition, a 3D map view of the project, its canals, and the passage of water through the Nallamala hills. He also entered the second tunnel for a distance and observed the casing, as the engineering officials explained to him the process employed in boring the tunnels, fixing the casings, etc.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said that it is a moment of realising the decades-long dream of the locals, and he is thanking the Almighty for helping him witness it. He pointed out that the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project would provide safe drinking water to 15.25 lakh people from the fluoride-hit, drought region of erstwhile Prakasam, Nellore, and YSR districts, and supply water for irrigation to 4.47 lakh acres in the region.

Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he was fortunate to dedicate the project to the nation, whose foundation was laid by his father and former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. He called it the script of the God, to give him the chance to complete the boring of the first tunnel in January 2021, and the second tunnel in January 2024 and to dedicate them to the nation.

He said that once the water level in the Srisailam project reached 840 feet, the floodwater could be diverted to the Nallamala Sagar reservoir of the Veligonda project by gravity, through the two tunnels. He estimated the two tunnels would supply 1 tmcft of water per day into the Veligonda project.

The Chief Minister announced that the government needs to provide Rs 1,200 crore for the land acquisition, rehabilitation, and resettlement of the oustees. He said that by the time of ensuing kharif season, he would be re-elected as the Chief Minister and promised to pay compensation to the people of the submerging villages and clear R&R package. He said that by kharif, in 2 to 3 months, water would be supplied to the Nallamala reservoir, by awarding the package to the oustees and evacuating them.

Jagan flayed the previous TDP government for lack of concern for the people suffering from ailments caused due to fluoride and also drought conditions. He said that while about 37.6 kilometres of boring was required for the two tunnels together, the TDP government had completed work for only 6.6 kilometres. He said that it is his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who was committed to the welfare of the people and made the contractors work on a war footing.

He requested the people and the farmers to vote for the YSR Congress Party candidates in the district, including Tatiparthi Chandrasekhar from Yerragondapalem, Anna Rambabu from Markapuram, Kunduru Nagarjuna Reddy from Giddalur, Buchepalli Sivaprasad Reddy from Darsi, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy as MLA candidates and Chevieddy Bhaskara Reddy as MP candidate from Ongole, along with others.