Nellore, Jan 14: YSRCP Nellore District President and former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy demanded that the coalition government immediately restart the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project, calling it a lifeline for Rayalaseema, Nellore, and Prakasam districts. Speaking at the YSRCP district office in Nellore, he said Chandrababu Naidu must cancel what he described as a secret understanding with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy that led to the project’s suspension. He warned that if works are not resumed, YSRCP will launch a large-scale agitation with farmers and irrigation experts and will not rest until the government is forced to act.
Kakani said the stoppage of the project has already triggered deep public anger in Nellore district, reflected in farmers refusing to participate in the TDP’s Somaseela–Kandaleru visit. He said Rayalaseema Lift was conceived to “wipe the tears of drought-hit farmers” and to ensure water during critical crop stages. Although Andhra Pradesh is allotted around 130 TMC from Srisailam, the state has historically failed to fully utilise even its share. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said, launched the Rayalaseema Lift to enable assured drawal from the 800-foot level and stabilise Rayalaseema and the south coastal districts. Halting such a “sanjeevani-like” project, he said, amounts to betraying farmers for narrow political interests.
He pointed out that Revanth Reddy publicly claimed on the Telangana Assembly floor that he persuaded Chandrababu Naidu in a closed-door meeting to stop the project, and that Chandrababu’s continued silence strengthens that charge. Kakani said Chandrababu has nothing to show for Nellore irrigation, noting that under his tenure Somaseela and Kandaleru could not store even 60 TMC, while Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy expanded their capacity to about 130 TMC. He listed major works completed under YSR and YS Jagan, including flood flow canals, barrage completion and capacity expansion, and said that in the last eighteen months not even a handful of soil has been lifted at Somaseela.
He criticised Chandrababu of earlier allowing Telangana’s unauthorised projects to proliferate, lifting nearly 8 TMC per day, while YS Jagan as opposition leader fought them and later, as Chief Minister, reclaimed operational control of Srisailam systems and moved the NGT. Since gravity drawal requires 880-foot levels that are rarely reached, he said a lift from the 800-foot level is essential. Kakani alleged the project was sabotaged out of fear that YS Jagan would gain credit, noting the government’s failure to argue Andhra Pradesh’s case before the Expert Appraisal Committee. He said YSRCP will take this issue to the people and intensify agitation until the Rayalaseema Lift is revived.
Restart RLI or face a farmers’ movement : Kakani
