A boon for drinking water, irrigation needs of Palnadu

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Wednesday, launched the works on the Varikapudisela Lift Irrigation Scheme that is estimated to cost Rs 340.26 crore and expected to make Palnadu area verdant.
Addressing a public meeting after unveiling the plaque here, the Chief Minister said that the first phase of the scheme would provide drinking water to 20,000 people and irrigate 24,900 acres in upland areas of Veldurthi, Uppalapadu, Gottipalla, Sirigiripadu, Bodilaveedu, Gangalakunta and Kandlakunta villages. When the second phase is completed, the project would provide drinking water to more than one lakh people and irrigate more than 1.25 lakh acres, he said.
Though the Nagarjuna Sagar project is nearby, Macherla area has remained neglected for decades. Former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the lift irrigation project ahead of the 2019 elections for political gains without obtaining clearances and acquiring land.
“In the past four years, we acquired land for the project and obtained clearances from the National Board of Wildlife on May 19 and from the Union Forests and Environment Ministry on November 6,” he said, adding that the project would change the face of Macherla in the days to come.
He said 1.57 TMC of water would be ferried for irrigation and drinking purposes from the project at the rate of 281 cusecs of water daily.
The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment for the development of the Palnadu area in all respects and said that Palnadu district was carved out aiming at decentralised development.
The government has spent Rs 8,812.48 crore and Rs 3,087crore through DBT and non-DBT schemes in Palnadu district and the area is witnessing rapid progress with several works in the Education and Medical and Health Department being expedited under Nadu-Nedu.
In response to the appeals to the local MLA P Ramakrishna Reddy, the Chief Minister agreed to upgrade the present 50-bed hospital here to a 100-bed one and sanction funds for several development works.
MLA P Ramakrishna Reddy, Medical and Health Minister V Rajani, Irrigation Minister Rambabu, Civil Supplies Minister K Nageswara Rao, several people’s representatives and senior officials participated in the programme.