Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Veligonda Project Water Release Set After Three Decades
The Veligonda Project is a large water project in Andhra Pradesh that has taken nearly three decades to reach this stage.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said its first phase will release water on August 31.
The water is expected to help farmers irrigate about 1.19 lakh acres.
It should also provide drinking water to nearly four lakh people.
The project will help drought-prone areas in four districts.
Some families had to give up their land for the project.
The government says it has paid ₹768 crore to 6,206 of those families.
Another ₹132 crore is still needed to finish the compensation process.
The government also plans household tap water in Markapuram and a horticulture hub.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that water from the Veligonda Project’s first phase will be released on August 31.
The first phase is expected to irrigate 1.19 lakh acres and provide drinking water to nearly four lakh people.
The project will serve drought-prone areas in Markapuram, Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts.
The government has paid ₹768 crore to 6,206 displaced families in 48 days, including ₹250 crore in the latest installment.
A further ₹132 crore is required to complete compensation, while the government plans tap-water and horticulture initiatives in the region.
- Who
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Andhra Pradesh government and families displaced by the Veligonda Project.
- What
- The first phase of the Veligonda Project is scheduled to release water, while compensation and rehabilitation measures continue.
- When
- Water release is scheduled for August 31; the latest compensation installment was announced on Friday.
- Where
- The announcement was made at the Chief Minister’s camp office in Amaravati; the project will serve Markapuram, Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts.
- Why
- To provide irrigation and drinking water in drought-prone areas and complete rehabilitation for displaced families.
- Scheduled water release
- August 31
- Expected irrigation coverage
- 1.19 lakh acres
- Expected drinking-water beneficiaries
- Nearly four lakh people
- Compensation paid
- ₹768 crore to 6,206 displaced families in 48 days
- Latest compensation installment
- ₹250 crore to 2,027 families
- Compensation still required
- ₹132 crore
- First-phase expenditure
- ₹2,250 crore spent over the past two years, according to the Chief Minister
- Reported river-linking proposal
- The reports use different descriptions: one refers to Ganga-Godavari-Cauvery linking, while the other refers to Krishna-Godavari-Cauvery linking.
