Vaikuntapuram Barrage to quench capital's thirst

THE coalition government will take up the construction of the Vaikuntapuram Barrage near Damuluru and a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) with the latest escalated estimates of ₹4,000 crore has already been submitted, announced Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Vijayawada

Replying to the queries raised by legislators in the Assembly on Thursday, the minister elucidated the project's background and significance.

The barrage, initially proposed in 2016 by the then-TDP government aimed at ensuring drinking water supply to Amaravati, Guntur and Vijayawada cities, anticipating a population of 35 lakh in Amaravati by 2050. Tenders were invited for the project with an estimate of ₹2,169 crore and work orders were issued to Navayuga and Venkatrao Infra Construction firms in 2018, Nimmala explained.

"However, the subsequent YSRCP government abandoned the project as part of its flip-flop on the capital issue. The doubled estimates are the result of the delay caused by the previous government," the minister asserted.

He said that the new DPR accounts for increased flood resilience, designed to withstand 15 lakh cusecs of water, based on last year's Krishna floods which stood at 11.4 lakh cusecs of water in its peak.