ANANTAPUR: Opposition YSRC on Wednesday announced that it would launch an agitation demanding completion of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and enhancement of the Handri-Neeva project capacity. Further, the party leaders accused the state government of not resisting neighbouring Karnataka for increasing the height and storage capacity of the Almatti Dam in Karnataka, which would adversely affect Andhra Pradesh’s share of Krishna waters.
The YSRC leaders met at the party’s district office in Anantapur. Those who attended the meeting included district president Anantha Venkatarami Reddy, parliament constituency observer Naresh Reddy, coordinators Vishweshwara Reddy, Shailajanath, Talari Rangayya, Y. Venkatarami Reddy, Kethireddy Peddareddy and Mettu Govinda Reddy. The party leaders charged that the state government has stalled crucial irrigation works affecting the Rayalaseema region.
Anantha Venkatarami Reddy accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of failing to safeguard the interests of Rayalaseema despite hailing from the region. While neighbouring states such as Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka are proactively protecting their water interests, Andhra Pradesh government is being indifferent, he alleged. Venkatarami Reddy pointed out that expansion of Almatti Dam in Karnataka will adversely affect Andhra Pradesh’s share of Krishna waters.
He observed that this would, in turn, affect Srisailam project, which is the lifeline for irrigation projects in Rayalaseema, including Galeru-Nagari, Telugu Ganga, Veligonda and Handri-Neeva. In this regard, the YSRC leaders said former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy have increased the capacity of the Pothireddypadu head regulator from 11,000 cusecs to 80,000 cusecs. “Further, nearly 90 per cent of the works under the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) had been completed at a cost of ₹990 crore. Only installation of motors had remained. However, all RLIS works have been halted after the present coalition government assumed office in 2024,” Ananta Venkatarami Reddy charged.
The YSRC leaders announced that they would mobilise all political parties and launch a united agitation to protect the irrigation interests of Rayalaseema.
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