Veligonda Project

The Veligonda Project is an irrigation project located in Markapur, Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh, India.[1] When completed, the project will provide irrigational facilities to 459,000 acres and drinking water to 1.5 million people in 29 Mandals of fluoride and drought affected areas in Prakasam district, Nellore district and Kadapa district by diverting 43.5 TMC of floodwater from the Krishna River from foreshore of Srisailam Reservoir near Kollamvagu and proposed to store in Nallamalasagar Reservoir. The water for the project is drawn through two 18.8 km long tunnels across Nallamala hills.[2][3] The project has been renamed to the "Poola Subbaiah Irrigation Project".[4][5]

The construction includes two parallel tunnels of 18.8 km with 9.2 m and 7 m internal diameter and 21.6 km Flood flow canal for the water transmission system linking with Srisailam Reservoir up to Guntur-Kurnool road. The project is being implemented by a double shielded tunnel boring machine to make the tunnel without disturbing wildlife in the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.[6]

Krishna river water is stored in a reservoir called 'Nallamala Sagar' with 43.5 Tmcft live storage at 244 m msl full reservoir level and 214.3 m msl minimum draw down level.[7] Full supply level to the tunnels from the Srisailam reservoir is 857 ft msl (261.2 m msl) and the sill level at tunnels water inlet is 840 ft msl (256.03 m msl).

Status

As of January 2020, 17.2  km of tunnel digging had been completed for the first tunnel, and 11.02 km for the second tunnel. [8][9] The first tunnel completed as of 14th January 2021.[10]

Projet Timeline
Administrative Approval09/07/2004
Tender15/03/2005
Technical Sanction19/05/2006

Expected completion

The project has seen several delays and cost escalations, and the revised target of completion is May, 2021. [11] Completion of first phase works are expected before June, 2020.[12]

References
  1. "Andhra Pradesh / Ongole News : Project details". Irrigation dept, Govt. of A.P.
  2. "AP CM Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu inspecting the construction of Veligonda Project". The Rahnuma Daily. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. Nandam, Naresh (2 November 2018). "Will review the works of Veligonda project every month: CM Chandrababu". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  4. "Andhra Pradesh / `Velugonda' to be named after Poola Subbaiah". The Hindu. 1 August 2005.
  5. "The Hindu: Work on Veligonda project resumes". TheHindu.com. 25 March 2013.
  6. "Double Shield bores Water Transfer Tunnel beneath Indian Tiger Sanctuary".
  7. "Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Project". Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. "environmentclearance project clearance" (PDF).
  9. "వెలిగొండ: ప్రకాశం జిల్లాకు వెలుగురేఖ (Telugu)". Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  10. https://www.sakshi.com/telugu-news/andhra-pradesh/veligonda-project-first-tunnel-was-completed-1338012
  11. "Re-tendering of Veligonda balance works". Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  12. "veligonda project details" (in Telugu). Retrieved 13 March 2020.

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