Revanth Flags Off Aerial Survey for SLBC Tunnel

Revanth Reddy said the SLBC tunnel is the only project in the country that can carry 30 tmc ft of water for free, without recurring costs, once the project is completed. “If we do not complete the project now, people will not forgive us, and if not now, then this project will not ever be completed and people from Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar will suffer as a consequence. We will overcome any hurdles and challenges that come our way,” Revanth Reddy said.

He was addressing the media along with irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, and R&B minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy at Mannevaripalle in Nagarkurnool district before flagging off the aerial electromagnetic survey for the tunnel’s alignment. Revanth Reddy was briefed by scientists from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) on how the survey works. Later, he, along with his Cabinet colleagues, flew alongside the survey copter in another helicopter for some distance before heading to Hyderabad.

Revanth Reddy said the SLBC tunnel project should have been completed long back but the then BRS government neglected it as it feared that credit for the project would go to the Congress under whose rule the project was planned in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1983, and the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy government starting the project in 2004 at a cost of `1,968 crore. “After KCR became CM in 2014, the works stalled. KCR and Harish put the project on hold intentionally and created hurdles to the project to supply water to Nalgonda through gravity,” the Chief Minister said. The delays and neglect resulted in the SLBC project cost rising to `4,600 crore, he added.

He warned BRS leader T. Harish Rao, former irrigation minister, to not make ‘cheap comments’ after signing away to Andhra Pradesh Telangana’s water rights and agreeing for just 299 tmc ft of the Krishna water and giving away 512 tm cft to Andhra Pradesh.

Revanth Reddy praised irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy for tirelessly following up on getting the stricken SLBC tunnel project back on track and making “all out efforts to complete the SLBC works by roping in the Army officials to dig the tunnels without any trouble in the future. It was unfortunate that eight workers died in the February accident in the inlet section of the tunnel, and compensation was paid to their families. We understand what it is means to lose even a single life.”

Responding to a request from Achampet MLA Dr Ch Vamsi Krishna, the Chief Minister said the government will address the grievance of submerged Marlapadu, Keshya thanda and Nakkalagandi villages before the end of this year.