Naidu Offers ‘Jala Harathi’ to Handri-Neeva Waters in Kuppam, Lays Stone for Beeraganipalle Reservoir

KUPPAM: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday offered ‘Jala Harathi’ to the Krishna waters brought through the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project to the tail-end areas of his home constituency, Kuppam, ensuring drinking water security for the drought-prone region.

Accompanied by local public representatives and villagers, the Chief Minister performed special pujas at the Kuppam Branch Canal in Shanthipuram mandal and showered flower petals on the flowing waters. Farmers and women gathered along both banks of the canal to accord a traditional ‘Neerajanam’ to the incoming canal waters, hailing the project as a lifeline for the parched area.

Terming water security foundational to Kuppam’s holistic development, Naidu noted that the HNSS network had channelled water all the way from the foothills of Srisailam to the southern tip of the state. He pointed out that 133 minor irrigation tanks across the constituency have already been filled through the project, mitigating drinking water scarcity. Furthermore, the release of 2.4 TMC of water last year helped recharge local aquifers, boosting groundwater tables by nearly three metres and reviving dried-up borewells.

During his visit, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Beeraganipalle reservoir. Announcing wider irrigation and storage interventions, Naidu said additional reservoirs would be built at Yamiganipalle and in the Madanapalle region.

To permanently insulate the region from drought, the Chief Minister unveiled a plan to interlink over 550 minor irrigation tanks across Kuppam via lift irrigation systems, underground pipeline networks, and gravity canals.

Chittoor MP Daggumalla Prasad, along with district officials and local legislators, participated in the event.