Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Veligonda Project First Phase Set for Launch After 30 Years
The Veligonda Project is a large water project for drought-hit areas.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to open its first phase on August 31.
The project will bring Krishna floodwaters through tunnels under the Nallamala hills.
The water will be stored in the Nallamala Sagar reservoir.
It is planned to help farmers irrigate 4.47 lakh acres.
It is also expected to provide drinking water to 23 lakh people.
The project began in 1996 but took many years to complete.
The government says it has paid compensation to families displaced by the project.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate the first phase on August 31.
The project is designed to irrigate 4.47 lakh acres across 30 mandals in four districts.
It is expected to provide drinking water to 23 lakh people in fluoride-affected areas.
Water will initially flow through Tunnel-1 into the 53.85-TMC Nallamala Sagar reservoir.
The coalition government says it completed major works and paid compensation to 7,321 displaced families.
- Who
- Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate the first phase; residents, farmers, and displaced families in the beneficiary areas are affected.
- What
- The first phase of the Pula Subbaih Veligonda Project will be launched, initially releasing water through Tunnel-1.
- When
- August 31; the article does not specify the year.
- Where
- The project serves areas of erstwhile Markapur, Prakasam, Nellore, and Kadapa districts, using water from Srisailam reservoir and the Nallamala Sagar reservoir.
- Why
- It is intended to provide irrigation to 4.47 lakh acres and drinking water to 23 lakh people in fluoride-affected areas.
Coalition Government’s Account
YSRCP-Era Record and Claims
Project progress
Coalition Government’s Account
The coalition government says it completed works worth Rs 2,402 crore since returning to power in 2024, after spending Rs 1,388 crore during its 2014–2019 term.
YSRCP-Era Record and Claims
The article says the YSRCP government spent Rs 981 crore between 2019 and 2024 and left Rs 140 crore in unpaid bills.
Delays and incomplete works
Coalition Government’s Account
The current government attributes the long delay to poor planning and says it addressed issues including the stuck tunnel-boring machine, incomplete head regulator works, and compensation disputes.
YSRCP-Era Record and Claims
The article reports that Tunnel-2’s boring machine remained stuck, head regulator works were incomplete, and displaced families had not received compensation during the YSRCP tenure.
Project dedication
Coalition Government’s Account
The coalition government presents the August 31 launch as the fulfillment of a 30-year-old project goal.
YSRCP-Era Record and Claims
The article says former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy declared the project dedicated to the nation despite the project being incomplete.
- Irrigation coverage
- 4.47 lakh acres across 30 mandals in four districts
- Drinking-water coverage
- 23 lakh people in fluoride-affected areas
- Reservoir capacity
- Nallamala Sagar can store 53.85 TMC feet
- Initial release
- Tunnel-1 will carry 10.7 TMC into Nallamala Sagar
- Project foundation
- The foundation stone was laid on March 5, 1996
- Compensation paid
- Rs 768 crore in three instalments to 7,321 displaced families
- Benefiting constituencies
- Nine assembly constituencies across the erstwhile four districts