Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday inaugurated Phase-I of the Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Irrigation Project and released Krishna water into the Nallamala Sagar reservoir, marking a major milestone for a project that has been in the making for nearly three decades. The project is aimed at addressing irrigation and drinking water needs in drought-prone areas of Markapuram, Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts.

Under Phase-I, the state government plans to release around 10.70 TMC of Krishna water into Nallamala Sagar. The initial phase is expected to provide irrigation to about 1.19 lakh acres and drinking water to nearly four lakh people. Once the entire project is completed, its planned storage capacity will rise to 53.85 TMC, with irrigation coverage expected to reach around 4.47 lakh acres.

Naidu described the inauguration as the fulfilment of a long-standing commitment, recalling that he had laid the foundation stone for the project on March 5, 1996, when he was Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. The government has also highlighted the rehabilitation and resettlement work undertaken ahead of the launch, including the disbursement of Rs 768 crore to thousands of families affected by the project.

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However, the inauguration has triggered a political dispute between the ruling TDP-led NDA and the opposition YSR Congress Party. Former Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy argued that his father, former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, had been closely associated with the project and claimed that major portions of the twin-tunnel works were completed during the YSRCP period. He accused Naidu of attempting to rewrite the project's history.

The ruling TDP rejected the opposition's position and maintained that the present government completed crucial pending works and overcame the final hurdles that had prevented the project from becoming operational. TDP working president and Minister Nara Lokesh defended the government's record, arguing that the project had remained incomplete for years and that the current administration had taken the necessary steps to bring water to the region. The competing claims have turned the project into a fresh political flashpoint.

Beyond the political debate, the Veligonda project is expected to have a significant impact on agriculture and drinking water supplies in the drought-prone region. The twin tunnels through the Nallamala Hills are designed to carry water from the Srisailam reservoir towards Nallamala Sagar, while the wider project is intended to support irrigation, provide safer drinking water and encourage agricultural and economic activity. For communities that have waited decades for reliable water supplies, the project's actual delivery of water to fields and households will remain the key measure of its success.

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