Long-pending Veligonda project nearing completion
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The long-pending Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project, which was undertaken as a part of the ‘Jalayagnam’ scheme in the course of the tenure of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, is nearing completion.
But for some laborious dismantling work of about 1,000 tonne head of the tunnel boring machine (TBM), all different works together with the Tunnel-I, have been accomplished, Superintending Engineer (constructions) N. Nagesh instructed The Hindu whereas taking inventory of the progress of works on the project website within the Nallamalla forests.
“Farmers can expect the Krishna water to reach their land during the coming kharif season,” he mentioned, including that they’ve a herculean process of dismantling the top of the TMB, which might save greater than ₹24 crore to the exchequer.
With a view to hurry up the works, guide drilling was carried out from the opposite facet of the large Tunnel-I to a distance of 1,053 metres. As a consequence, the initially proposed towing of the whole TBM has been dominated out now. Now the dismantling of the TBM is being carried out contained in the tunnel itself.
“The head regulator works at Kollam Vagu is also nearing completion. We will be able to draw flood waters from the foreshore of Srisailam in all probability by August,” sources within the Irrigation Department mentioned.
As a part of the project, two large tunnels have been designed to not disturb the pure setting of the wild animals within the Nagarjunasagar-Srirsailam Tiger Reserve. The project, which initially was scheduled for completion in 2008, had suffered time and value overruns in view of enormity of the drilling work with the TBMs procured from Germany and the U.S.
Drilling work
The authorities is eager on finishing the Tunnel-II by August by rushing up the drilling to not less than 1,000 metre a month. The work was hit because of conveyor belt points. However, with multi-directional excavation technique, the officers will be capable of drill a distance of seven.5 km expeditiously, in keeping with sources, including that plans are afoot to drill not less than 30 metres a day.
The project has been designed to attract 43.50 tmcft of flood waters from the Krishna by gravity, which may irrigate 4.47 lakh acres in Prakasam, Kadapa, and Nellore districts, other than supplying ingesting water to over 15 lakh inhabitants within the fluoride-hit elements. Nallamala Sagar reservoir has been constructed by closing the Sunkesula, Gottipadia and Kakarla gaps to impound the Krishna water.
