All hopes on TDP govt to complete HNSS project

Anantapur-Puttaparthi: The Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS), which is supposed to be a panacea for the irrigation requirements of not just Anantapur district but also Rayalaseema district, has been dragged for 10 long years, testing the patience of farmers and people.

The project was initiated by former Chief Minister late NT Rama Rao and executed by the Congress government. During Congress' 10-year rule, 80 per cent works of phase 1 and 2 were completed. After TDP was in to power from 2014-19, there was progress and it was said that the TDP government brought the project to almost its completion stage.

In 2019, YSRCP took over the reins of government and did not give any priority to the completion of irrigation projects. People opine that the YSRCP government could have completed the remaining 5 per cent of works of this project and took the credit. The project would have impacted Rayalaseema districts and would have been a game-changer for farmers and for the economy of the region. Now, it is the responsibility of the TDP government to complete the project. Jeedipalle reservoir, Bhairavanitippa project, Peruru dam and Madakasira branch canal were all executed based on HNSS project. Dams were built for the storage of HNSS water and for the larger benefits of farmers and to meet drinking water requirements.

The revised project cost is Rs 11,658.36 crore and already over Rs 9,000 crore has been spent on the project. Irrigation officials sought release of Rs 2,000 crore in 2018-19 fiscal tear for the completion of the project on priority basis but it was not done. The project will provide water to 500 odd tanks in Rayalaseema and irrigation facility to 3.45 lakh acres in Anantapur district. It is expected to turn barren lands in Anantapur into fertile lands. Unfortunately, neither the Congress government nor the TDP government in 2014 took it as a priority project or as prestigious issue to claim total credit as the champion of farmers of backward districts. Also, the YSRCP government did not take the advantage of claiming the credit by completing the pending 5 per cent works.

Now that the ball bounced back into TDP court, everyone hopes that the government would allot funds to complete the project.