Veligonda works to be revived in a week

The project tunnel work has come to grinding halt for the last five-months due to breakdown of tunnel cutting machine caused by a technical snag. The officials imported blades and other parts from Germany to revive the work.

The project senior officials on Monday met the district in-charge collector Dr M. Hari Jawaharlal and requested him to supply 100-cubic metres sand per day to take up the Veligonda project work. They submitted a letter to him for sand supply. The collector assured that he would take steps to supply sand to start the project work.

They explained steps taken by them to speed up project work. He assured that he would instruct the officials to speed up land acquisition process to complete the first phase of the project within the stipulated time.

The officials have explained all the problems to N. Chandrababu Naidu and irrigation minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao in the review meeting. They explained their problems to the experts committee constituted by the government. They instructed the officials to speed up the project to solve drought problem in the district.

If this project is completed, Mr Chandrababu Naidu has a proposal to take up some lift irrigation schemes in the district. Irrigation projects superintending engineer M.V. Ramana Murthy said, “We have imported spare parts for tunnel cutting machine from Germany. We will revive project works within three days.

Sand is the most important to start engineering work. The district administration has agreed to supply sand. We have no problem regarding funds for this project. As per instructions of the CM, we have taken steps for the first phase of project work within the stipulated time to irrigate 1,18,000 acre. It will also solve the drinking water problem.”