04-07-2025
State govt prioritising north Andhra projects: Nimmala
Vijayawada: The state government is making concerted efforts to expedite pending irrigation projects in the North Andhra region, aiming at resolving long-standing drinking and irrigation water issues. This commitment was articulated by Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu following a review meeting held today at the camp office here.
Minister Ramanaidu stated that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has specifically directed officials to prioritise these projects to ensure water security for the people of North Andhra.
He announced that the Chief Minister himself would conduct a special review meeting on North Andhra projects next week to finalize their prioritization and development strategy.
Ramanaidu highlighted that during the 2014-2019 TDP government's tenure numerous projects were sanctioned and largely completed for the benefit of North Andhra.
However, he lamented that the subsequent YSRCP government, which came to power in 2019, neglected these crucial works. 'It's unfortunate that the previous government abandoned works like the Vamsadhara Stage-2, Phase-2, and Thotapalli Barrage, even though 90 percent of their construction was complete,' Ramanaidu asserted, accusing the YSRCP of significant betrayal to the North Andhra region over the past five years.
He affirmed that the current coalition government, since assuming office last year, has been actively working to bring all these pending projects back on track. He expressed confidence that their completion would comprehensively address the drinking and irrigation water challenges faced by the region.
During the review meeting, Ramanaidu specifically assessed the progress of balance works for the Vamsadhara-Nagavali and Nagavali-Champavathi interlinking projects, enquiring about their current status from officials.
He alsosought updates on accelerating works for the Hiramandalam Lift, Madduvalasa Stage-2, and Janjavathi reservoir.
Furthermore, Ramanaidu delved into the impediments causing delays and halts in projects funded by JICA, including the Andra Reservoir, Raivada, Peddankalam, Peddagadda, and Vattigedda.
The minister instructed officials and engineers concerned to prepare comprehensive reports ahead of the Chief Minister's review. These reports should detail the prioritisation of each project, estimated completion timelines, and other pertinent information.
The review was attended by irrigation advisor Venkateswara Rao, ENC Narasimhamurthy, chief engineers, superintending engineers of various projects, and other senior officials.
