Kurnool: With the state government extending ₹660 crore, district administrations of Kurnool and Nandyal have started expanding the water carrying capacity of the Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanti (HNSS) Canal to improve drinking water availability in the two districts.
Canal expansion works have already started in areas, such as Pathikonda, Nandikotkur and Dhone. Similar expansion is to be taken up in Alur and Pathikonda constituencies too.
Once works are completed, the canal's capacity will increase from 2,100 cusecs to 3,850 cusecs. The enhanced water flow will provide for construction of lift irrigation schemes, which have long been proposed but found unfeasible due to low water availability in the canal.
The aim is to provide irrigation water for up to 42,000 acres. Kurnool district will also be able to get the full allocated water, enabling irrigation across 80,000 acres, considerably improving the agricultural prospects in the region.
HNSS Canal has been vital in supplying Krishna water to six lakh acres in the Rayalaseema region. In the joint Kurnool district, it irrigates 35,000 acres. The ongoing canal expansion will increase water storage in the Pandikona and Krishnagiri reservoirs, providing ample water to meet the irrigation needs of a larger area.
Pending expansion of the canal, Kurnool district administration is preparing to overcome potential water shortages in the ensuing summer. Rural Water Supply (RWS) department has proposed repairs worth ₹10.56 crore, targeting deepening of borewells and restoration of non-functioning hand pumps to ensure access to water during peak demand.
There are challenges related to groundwater levels, which are reportedly decreasing, especially in Nandyal (5.59 meters) and Kurnool (7.64 meters). Approximately 20 per cent of the 8,690 hand pumps in the combined district are currently non-functional. The government has committed itself to repairing 80 per cent of these pumps by February.
Kurnool district has formulated a drought contingency plan with a budget of ₹6.91 crore to address drinking water problems in 191 habitations. District collector P. Ranjit Basha has instructed officials to fill 33 summer storage tanks to ensure the availability of water during dry spells.
Measures have been put in place to ensure that 290 cusecs of water allocated to the Gajuladinne project is properly managed. The water will be released into the Handri River to meet the drinking water needs of 16 villages in Kodumuru and Gudur mandals.
