VIJAYAWADA: Though reservoirs under Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) in Anantapur, Kurnool, Kadapa and Chittoor were completed in two phases, the incomplete distributary canal system defeats the very purpose of the project. Farmers' organisations of Rayalaseema are now demanding that the government focus on the early completion of the distributary canals.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his recent tour of Rayalaseema region and review meetings with the irrigation department, underscored the need of enhancing the canal carrying capacity of various projects, including HNSS. Following his directions, HNSS authorities went back to the drawing board and prepared a new DPR, which is now awaiting the government approval.
"As the new proposals have been submitted to enhance the carrying capacity of HNSS main canal from 3,200 cusecs to 6,000 cusecs, the survey and levelling needed for determining the command area and various field-level distributary system will take more time. As of now, survey and levelling work is yet to commence," a higher official of HNSS said.
It means that to reach the full potential of the project and achieve the target of 6.025 lakh acres of new ayacut in Rayalaseema, it may take more than 5-6 years, if not more. "Even after completing the reservoirs and majority of main canal, not even one-tenth of the targeted Ayacut was achieved," an irrigation department official pointed out.
HNSS is the longest multipurpose water canal in the Rayalaseema region with a total length of 565 km. Though the idea of the project was conceived by Sir Arthur Cotton, who was behind every major irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh, the final shape was given to it when NT Rama Rao was Chief Minister in the early '80s.
As there was no assured water, the project was planned on the surplus waters of Krishna river, which were to be taken during 120 flood days in the Krishna river (from August to November). The project was designed to utilise 40 TMC of floodwater to be drawn from backwaters of Srisailam project to provide irrigation water for 6.025 lakh acres in Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa and Chittoor districts and at the same time supply drinking water to about 33 lakh people in the region. But the actual works of the project could only commence after 2004 when YS Rajasekhara Reddy was Chief Minister.
The total project cost was Rs 6,850 crore (phase 1 - Rs 2,774 crore and phase 2, Rs 4,076 crore). The YSR government gave administrative approval for phase 1 on July 24, 2004, for Rs 1,305 crore for the first phase of works and again a revised administrative approval for phase- 1 was given on January 3, 2007, for Rs 2,774 crore. For Phase- II works, administrative approval was given on October 15, 2005, for Rs 1,880 crore and revised administrative approval was given on January 3, 2007, for Rs 4,076 crore.
HNSS has as many as 13 projects for lifting the water at nine different stages and a total of eight reservoirs -- three in the first phase and five in the second phase. Construction of reservoirs - Krishnagiri, Pathikonda, Jeedipalli, Gollapalli, Cherolopalli, Marala, Srinivasapuram, and Adivipalli -- was completed, but the distributary network remains incomplete.
Those in the know of things say that corruption is the main reason for snail-pace of works and even those completed were reported to be full of faults. For example, the canal carrying capacity of the unlined main canal was supposed to be 3,200 cusecs, but currently, only around 2,000 cusecs discharge rate is possible. The reason: there is no definite answer and discussions in different fora, including Assembly, result in the blame game.
“Ultimately, it is people of Rayalaseema, who have to pay the price, as the expected new ayacut is not realised even after spending thousands of crores of taxpayers’ money. We hope that the present government, takes the issue seriously,” D Jagadeesh, CPI leader, said.