Nellore:Minister for water resources Nimmala Ramanaidu on Tuesday conducted a three-hour field inspection of the Veligonda Project and stressed the need for urgent completion of key works before the 2026 agriculture season under the supervision of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
During the inspection, the minister expressed concern over the slow progress of tunnel lining works and warned of strict action in cases of negligence. He directed officials to address shortages of fuel, manpower and machinery to accelerate execution.
He inspected the tunnels, including at night, to review the progress and called for better coordination to ensure round-the-clock work. Officials said a major hurdle in Tunnel-2 was cleared after court approval for the removal of a stuck Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) at the 12-km mark, which is crucial for enabling the transfer of 54 TMC of water. The minister directed that the TBM be removed immediately.
He also said rehabilitation and resettlement compensation for displaced families would be taken up shortly.
Ramanaidu criticised former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleging that misinformation regarding project completion had impacted farmers in Prakasam district.
He noted that work on the 19-km tunnels was progressing under challenging conditions and said continuous monitoring was being carried out to meet deadlines.
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