Andhra Pradesh CM to Inaugurate Owk Second Tunnel on November 30: Buggana

Kurnool: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to inaugurate the second tunnel to Owk reservoir on November 30, said finance minister Buggana Rajendranath on Sunday after inspecting the  arrangements made for the tunnel’s inauguration.

Rajendranath said that the tunnel is a vital component of the Galeru-Nagari Sujala Sravanti flood canal and he emphasised that the tunnel would be utilised to fill the Gandikota reservoir through the Galeru-Nagari flood canal within 15 days of flooding in Srisailam, he said adding that the goal is to divert 38 TMC in 30 days at a rate of 20,000 cusecs per day during Srisailam floods.

The minister said this would enable the irrigation of 2.60 lakh acres of land in Kadapa, Chittoor, and Nellore districts, meeting the drinking water needs of 20 lakh people in 640 villages. The project is expected to significantly enhance irrigation facilities in Rayalaseema. The 60-km-long flood canal with a capacity of 20,000 cusecs from Gorukallu, along with tunnel excavation work, has been completed.

Officials from the water resources department explained to the minister that 165 meters of the tunnel have been lined with cement concrete in the fault zone. As part of the preparations, the minister inspected the road from the helipad to the tunnels in Owk.

Local representatives and officials, including Banaganapalle MLA Katasani Ramireddy, MP Pocha Brahmananda Reddy, Nandyal district collector Manazir Jeelani Samoon, joint collector T. Rahul Kumar Reddy, and Dhone DSP Srinivasa Reddy accompanied the minister.