Handri-Neeva

Handri Neeva
Official name Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project
Country India
Location Chinna Mushtur village
Purpose Irrigation, Drinking water
Construction began 2005
Opening date November 2012
Owner(s) Government of Andhra Pradesh
Dam and spillways
Length 500 kilometers

Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project is the longest water canal project in Andhra Pradesh. The lift canal gets off from the back waters of Srisailam reservoir at Malyala. It serves Rayalaseema region irrigating around six lakh acres and providing reliable drinking water supply.[1] This longest water canal can flow across Handri River, Penna River, Chitravathi River , Papagni River , Mndavya River, Bahuda River, Gargeya River and many other rivers in Rayalaseema region. The canal covers Kurnool, Ananthapur, Kadapa and Chittoor districts . The canal feeds many reservoirs and enormous number of water tanks in the region. In order to achieve full requirements of drinking and irrigation water of the region, more than 50 Tmcft water is required.

History

It was conceived by Sir Arthur Cotton,[2] but designs were finalised during the N. T. Rama Rao government.[3] The construction started during the tenure of Y. S. Rajashekhara Reddy in 2005

The project second phase construction is still in progress. This project water is sourced from unreliable flood flows of Krishna river and doesn't have any assured water allocation. Rayalaseema people are strongly demanding the Government to allocate assured water to the project.

The Project

The lift canal with a length of nearly 550 km, takes off from the back waters of Srisailam reservoir at Malyala and routed along the hill ridges up to high lands in Chittoor district via Kurnool, Ananthapur and Kadapa districts with many lifts / pumping stations. The canal feeds many existing tanks which are used for drinking water and irrigation needs. The main purpose of the canal is to ensure badly needed drinking and irrigation water in drought prone Rayalaseema region. It is planned to use nearly 40 Tmcft water from the Krishna River under this project.

The minimum draw down level for Malyala pump house is at 830 feet (253 m) MSL.[4] The project operational requirement is 653 MW power and 1.9 billion KWh of electrical energy annually for pumping 30 Tmcft water.

The first phase (220 kilometers length) of the canal up to Jeedipalli reservoir, is completed. This reservoir is located at Chinna Mushtur village in Ananthapur district and 3 Nos of balancing Reservoirs constructed in Phase-I i.e., 1. Krishnagiri (Kurnool District), 2.Pathikonda Reservoir (Kurnool District) and 3. Jeedipalli Reservoir (Anantapuramu District).

The second phase (349 kilometers length) of the main canal up to Adivipalli Reservoir Chittor district. It is proposed to Create IP to an extent of 4,04,500 acres and drinking water facilities for 23 lakh Population in 293 Villages in the region enroute the main canal and command area by utilizing 26 TMC of water through 3 Branch Canals Madakasira, Punganur and Niva, and 3 Distributories namely Atmakuru, Thamballapalli, Vayalpadu in the Drought prone upland Areas of Rayalaseema Districts i.e., Anantapur, Kadapa & Chittoor to fill water for six Reservoir including Veligallu Dam Reservoir and 5 Nos of balancing Reservoirs constructed in Phase-II i.e., 1. Gollapalli Reservoir(Anantapuramu Dist) , 2. Cherlopalli Reservoir (Anantapuramu Dist), 3. Marala Reservoir(Anantapuramu Dist), 4. Srinivasapuram Reservoir (Kadapa Dist) , 5. and Adivipalli Reservoir(Chittoor Dist).

The project canals can also feed by gravity the Tungabhdra high level canal and many other medium & minor tanks in Penna River basin to provide drinking water during severe droughts.

To make this lift canal operational for catering to drinking water needs even during a severe drought year, K. C. Canal water sourced from Sunkesula barrage can be fed to this pump house by gravity when water level in the Srisailam reservoir is below minimum draw down level required by the water pumps.

A supplementary pump house at Mutchumarri to draw water from Srisailam reservoir at 800 feet (244 m) MSL is in advanced stage of construction. This pump house with its pipelines and canals can feed the near by KC canal and the Malyala pump house of Handri Neeva lift canal, from the dead storage water even during the worst monsoon rains for the drinking water needs of Rayalaseema region.[5][4]

See also

References

Coordinates: 15°54′31″N 78°14′08″E / 15.90861°N 78.23556°E / 15.90861; 78.23556

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