'Neradi barrage will irrigate more than two lakh acres'.

The former Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao hailed the tribunal’s order permitting construction of a barrage across the Vamsadhara at Neradi. He urged the government to complete the project on a war-footing to benefit backward areas of Srikakulam district.

“During the YSR government, we strived hard for the sanction of Vamsadhara Phase-2 with the hope that the water dispute would be resolved in future. As expected, the tribunal allowed construction of the Neradi barrage to irrigate more than 2 lakh acres,” he added.

In a press release, Srikakulam MLA Gunda Lakshmi Devi hailed the order and said that Srikakulam would be one of the developed districts with the optimum utilisation of Vamsadhara River water.

Senior irrigation officials said that the Andhra Pradesh government had successfully convinced the tribunal about the legitimate water share and its misutilisation for the last six decades.

They reportedly briefed the tribunal’s order to Srikakulam Collector K. Dhanunjaya Reddy and Joint Collector KVN Chakradhar Babu.

“The State government is keen on completing the iramandalam reservoir and flood flow canal construction by January 2018. With the construction of the Neradi barrage, it benefits over 1,000 villages in the district. It caters needs of both irrigation and drinking water needs of many mandals,” an official said.

THE HINDU