Lay water pipeline from PIP to Vizag: Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy

VIJAYAWADA:  Directing officials to ensure the completion of projects including Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP), Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Project, and others as per the stipulated time, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the water resources department to explore ways to supply drinking water from PIP to Visakhapatnam. He also directed the officials to complete the rehabilitation and resettlement (R and R) for the +41.15 meters contour to avoid submergence.

In a review meeting held at his camp office in Tadepalli on Wednesday, the CM took stock of the progress of various irrigation projects. He instructed the officials that the works related to the approach channel and spill channel of PIP be completed by May and that those pertaining to cofferdams be concluded before May. 

The CM suggested that the officials explore ways to lay a special pipeline from PIP to Visakhapatnam, to supply drinking water, through gravity so that there won’t be any expenditure to be made on power for pumping the water, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office. On the occasion, the officials informed the CM that the works of the first tunnel of Poola Subbaiah Veligonda project were almost completed and that the second tunnel would likely be ready by August 2021. The CM directed the finance department to release necessary funds for R and R, according to a monthly strategy, in the meantime. 

The officials also apprised the CM that the second Own tunnel would be ready by March and that 20,000 cusecs of water could be released for Kharif-2021. When the officials told Jagan that the tenders for the third tunnel were finalized, he asked the officials to launch the works at the earliest. The officials also presented the logo for the special purpose vehicle formed for Rayalaseema Drought Mitigation Projects and intimated that the incorporation of the company has been concluded. Jagan approved the logo, the CMO’s statement added.

For the first time, the Chitravati balancing reservoir was used to its full capacity to store 10 TMC of water, the officials briefed the CM. They also said that they were able to store about 18 TMC of water in the Gandikota reservoir and the CM asked them to make efforts to store 20 TMC. Water resources minister P Anil Kumar, special chief secretary (water resources) Adityanath Das, engineer-in-chief C Narayana Reddy, chief engineer (PIP) B Sudhakar Babu, and other officials participated in the meeting.