Hope Rekindled for Somasila HLLC as Anam Steps in Again

The project, which remained in limbo for six years due to lack of funding, has received a fresh lease of life with the reentry of Anam Ramanarayana Reddy as endowments minister. As the finance minister in a previous Congress government, Reddy had played a key role in securing administrative approval for the project in 2013.

The project, sanctioned under GO MS 120 dated Dec 21, 2013, was launched with an outlay of Rs 1,532.19 crore and taken up in two phases under an EPC turnkey system.

The HLLC aims to provide irrigation to 90,000 acres of irrigated dry (ID) ayacut and drinking water to 58 fluoride-affected villages across Ananthasagaram, Atmakur, Marripadu, Vinjamur, Duttalur and Udayagiri mandals. It plans to divert 5tmc of water from the Somasila reservoir.

The Phase I works began in 2014 with an estimated cost of Rs 1,080.59 crore. However, they stopped in 2017 after 62 per cent of the works were done, which involved a cost of Rs 604 crore.

Despite the slow progress, the Phase II costing Rs 872.90 crore was initiated in 2020 thanks to the efforts of the late Atmakur MLA Mekapati Goutham Reddy. The contractor executed works of Rs 30 crore, after which the works were halted as further funds were not released.

Now, with renewed attention from the government, hopes are high. Superintendent Engineer of Phase II, Ramana Reddy, said the government has sanctioned Rs 150 crore for canal development and Rs 60 crore for land acquisition, which involves 2,000 acres.

He confirmed that BVSR Constructions, the project contractor, has resumed the work, with priority given to upgrading the Gundemadakala and Kampasamudram reservoirs.

Superintendent engineer of the Telugu Ganga Project, Radhakrishna Reddy, said a fund of `500 crore was required to complete the civil works and land acquisition as also to establish 33KV substations and implement rehabilitation and resettlement for Phase I.

The work, he said, would pick up pace once land acquisition is completed. An Extension of Time (EOT) has been approved, extending the project deadline to March 31, 2026. Ramanarayana Reddy said the project would be completed as per the new schedule.

ASR Somasila high level lift canal devised to provide water for irrigating 90,000 acres in upland areas and drinking water for 58 villages in 6 backward mandals. Project cost was revised from Rs 1532.19 crore to Rs 1953.19 crore