Somasila High-Level Canal Phase 2 Foundation Laid By AP CM

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy  virtually laid the foundation stone for Somasila High-Level Canal, Phase-2 on Monday and reiterated that irrigation was a priority sector for the government. The Somasila Phase 2 project would serve the irrigation and drinking water purposes of 46,453 acres in Udayagiri and Atmakuru uplands and other villages in the Prakasam and Nellore districts. The State government is taking up the Phase-2 construction at a cost of Rs 459 Crore and under this project, balancing reservoirs, cross missionary works, gravity canals, and pump stations will be built.

Speaking on the occasion the Chief Minister said that the previous government proposed to spend Rs 527.53 Crore on the project. “After forming the government, by going through reverse tendering about Rs 68 Crore has been saved and we brought down the cost to Rs 459 Crore and the project works are being done on a war footing. We have curbed corruption and are moving ahead in providing transparent and corruption-free governance, ” he said.

Aiming at addressing the drought issue in the drought-prone Rayalaseema, the government initiated Rayalaseema Drought Mitigation Project with Rs 40,000 Crore. It has also initiated the North Andhra Sujala Sravanthi project with Rs 15,000 Crore, where the tenders for first phase will be called soon for Rs 3500 Crore and YSR Palanadu Karuvu Nivarana (Drought Mitigation) project along with Chintalapudi lift irrigation and two other projects on lower Krishna and one on the upper Krishna River are being taken up.