AP CM Naidu offers Jala Harathi to Handri-Neeva waters in Kuppam

Kuppam, Sept 22 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday offered ‘Jala Harathi’ to Handri-Neeva waters reaching the tail-end areas of Kuppam constituency and said water security was crucial for the region’s development.

Naidu performed puja to the waters at the Kuppam Branch Canal of the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project in Shanthipuram mandal and later offered flowers along with local public representatives and people.

Farmers and women gathered along the canal and welcomed the Handri-Neeva waters with traditional ‘Neerajanam’, raising slogans hailing the project as a boon for Kuppam.

The Chief Minister said the Handri-Neeva scheme had brought water to Kuppam from the foothills of Lord Mallikarjuna at Srisailam.

He said 133 minor irrigation tanks had been filled through the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project, helping prevent drinking water shortages.

Last year, 2.4 TMC of water was released into Kuppam, resulting in groundwater levels rising by around three metres and reviving dried-up borewells, he said.

Naidu also laid the foundation stone for construction of a reservoir at Beeraganipalle and said reservoirs would also be established at Yamiganipalle and in the Madanapalle region of Chittoor district.

He said more than 550 minor irrigation tanks in Kuppam would be interconnected through lift irrigation systems, pipelines and gravity canals.

Chittoor MP Daggumalla Prasad, local public representatives and officials attended the programme.

TNT LE