Dr.JP's Letter to AP CM YS Jagan Seeking Speedy Execution of the Lift Project Linking Somasila and Badvel Tanks

To,
Sri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Amaravathi

Dear Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy Garu,

I know of your government’s commitment to providing irrigation to the parched lands of Rayalaseema. In this context I would like to bring your attention to an important project that will provide irrigation and drinking water at a relatively low cost in Badvel region of Kadapa district.

Several representations had been made by people against Corruption (PAC), an NGO with the support of farmer groups and local communities to take up a lift irrigation project from the foreshore water of Somasila Reservoir near Poddarivaripalli (V) of Gopavaram (M) to feed Badvel tank and 33 other tanks in Atluru, Badvel and Gopavaram Mandals of Kadapa district. In March 2019, a GO [G.O.Rt.No. 197] was issued by the Government of Andhra Pradesh wherein permission was accorded to draw 1 TMC water from the Somasila Reservoir for this purpose.

I had personally visited these areas in November 2017 and found that the project is necessary to meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of a population of about 1,20,000 in the three Mandals. The project cost at an estimated Rs 150 crore is economical and benefits about 28,000 acres of land. The cost thus comes to a moderate Rs 54,000 / acre, and the maintenance cost is estimated to be Rs 2 Cr / year, or under Rs 1000/- acre.

As you are aware, while Somasila project affected area is in Kadapa district, the people and farmers of the district received no tangible benefits. This project will go some way in ensuring benefits to the people Badvel region.

Implementation of the commitments in the aforementioned GO at the earliest will bring benefits to about 1,20,000 population and irrigate around 28,000 acres of farmland. This would not only address the problem of scarcity of drinking water but would also go a long way in addressing agrarian distress besides recognizing the sacrifices made by the people of Kadapa district in accommodating the Somasila reservoir project.

Therefore, I urge you to take up this low-cost, yet high-impact lift-irrigation scheme linking Somasila reservoir to Badvel tank on a priority basis and ensure its speedy execution.

With warm personal regards,

Yours sincerely,
Jayaprakash Narayan