Krishna water released into SRBC from Banakacherla Complex

Giving a major boost to the irrigation sector in the Rayalaseema region, Minister for Roads & Buildings B.C. Janardhan Reddy on Friday released the Krishna waters from the Banakacherla Complex into the Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC).

Mr. Janardhan Reddy was at Banakacherla of Nandyal district along with Srisailam MLA Budda Rajasekhar Reddy and Nandikotkur MLA Gitta Jayasurya. They performed special puja to the river before officially releasing the water into the SRBC.

Addressing a public gathering, Mr. Janardhan Reddy observed that heavy rains upstream brought healthy inflows into the Krishna, terming it “positive development for the Rayalaseema region.”

Highlighting the efforts of the NDA government in developing irrigation infrastructure, Mr. Janardhan Reddy said several key projects conceptualised during the earlier TDP term and the present regime were being executed. The government started delivering the promises to the drought-hit Rayalaseema region, he added. “We are also committed to providing the Krishna waters to the Chittoor and Kadapa districts, covering even the last acre,” he said.

Referring to the Gorukalva project, he said it remained a mere dream under the previous government, but became a reality during 2014–19 when the TDP was in power, which allocated ₹300 crore for its completion. “This project’s storage capacity is being enhanced from 6 tmc ft to 12 tmc ft, leading to an extensive distribution network,” the Minister said.

Envisaging plans to route the Krishna waters from Gorukalva through the Galeru-Nagari Sujala Sravanti (GNSS) network, the Minister said it would supply water to the regions such as Owk in Nandyal and Pulivendula in Kadapa districts.

“Repairs at ₹2.35 crore have been undertaken on the Gorukalva reservoir. Another ₹22 crore has been sanctioned for canal expansion and maintenance. Instead of contractors, the projects are being handled directly by the government engineers to ensure high quality, transparency and accountability,” he said.

Mr. Jagandhan Reddy criticised the YSRCP government for failing to secure funds for the irrigation projects, particularly in the Rayalaseema region. He urged the officials and Water User Associations to step up awareness among the farmers for prudential use of the water.