Naidu To Revive Handri–Neeva Link To Kalyani Dam

The project involves lifting water from the Neeva branch canal and conveying it to the Kalyani dam through a dedicated channel. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will lay the foundation stone for the scheme on January 13 at the Moolapalle tank during his Sankranti visit to Naravaripalle.

Krishna waters have already reached Kuppam through the Handri–Neeva Kuppam branch canal. In August 2025, the Chief Minister had announced that the Neeva branch canal would be extended to cover more regions, a commitment now being fulfilled.

An allocation of `126 crore has been made to lift water from the Neeva branch canal to the Kalyani dam. The Handri–Neeva main canal, spanning 554 km, ends at the Adavipalle reservoir in KV Palle mandal, from where the Punganur and Kuppam branch canals diverge. The Neeva branch canal, extending about 122 km up to Chittoor, is designed to meet both drinking water and irrigation needs, stabilising nearly 50,000 acres of ayacut.

At the 53rd km point of the Neeva branch canal, water will be lifted by about 10 metres and carried through a 33-km channel to the Kalyani dam. On the way, water will be supplied to tanks at Kanithamadhugu, Kondareddikandriga, KR Kandriga, Nagapatla and Moolapalle in Chandragiri mandal, irrigating around 1,150 acres. About 450 mcft of water will be conveyed through the system.

Originally proposed in 2014, the project was shelved after a change in government but has now been revived by the present coalition government. Irrigation officials said the project would become operational once water reaches the Adavipalle reservoir through the main canal. With canal resection, lining and lift works, the total project cost will be about `1,329 crore, and completion is expected within two years.