Kurnool's Crucial Irrigation Project Nearing Completion, Bringing Water to 77 Tanks

KURNOOL: In a significant step to help residents of the western region of Kurnool district, a crucial irrigation project aimed at providing both drinking and irrigation water to 77 tanks is almost complete. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate the water discharge on Tuesday.

The initiative, set in motion by the state government under GO- 196 on March 20, 2018, would irrigate agricultural lands and enable the people to get clean water. Undertaken by a Hyderabad-based company that year itself, the project’s initial value of Rs186.10 crore was later revised to Rs 253.72 crore.

The primary aim is to provide irrigation water to approximately 10,130 acres of land in the western region of the district. It would fill 77 tanks and cater to the needs of 57 surrounding villages.

The project draws water from the Hundri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi main canal.

It includes a pumping station at Alamkonda, the starting point. Through a network of pipelines, water reaches various areas, with each pipeline serving a specific zone. Gravity Pipeline 1 spans 43.40km, which caters to 4,217 acres of land and feeds water to 22 ponds.

Gravity Pipeline 2 covers 29.40km. This conduit provides irrigation to 3,018 acres via 16 ponds. Pipeline 3, extending to over 26.80km from the Peapully branch, irrigates 2,065 acres across 23 ponds. Pipeline 4, stretching 21.10km from the Jonnagiri branch, enhances irrigation facilities to 830 acres across 7 tanks.

The scheme is benefiting 28 tanks in the Dhone assembly constituency, 35 tanks in Pathikonda, 3 tanks in Alur, and 2 tanks in Panyam constituencies.

As of now, the project's works worth Rs217.53 crore are complete.

An expenditure of Rs209.31 crore has been incurred as of June. As of March 2023, drinking and irrigation water filling tests were conducted in nearly 35 tanks. The work on other tanks was completed by August and the water filling tests are currently on.