ANANTAPUR: People of Atmakur mandal, the lowest rainfall receiving mandal in the district, have urged the State Government to alter the alignment of the main canal of Handri-Neeva project, Phase - II, so that about 40,000 acres can be brought under irrigation.

A meeting headed by Mandal Parishad President P. Eeswaraiah was held in the mandal headquarters and was attended by MPTC members, sarpanches and mandal leaders of all political parties.

The meeting passed a resolution urging the Government to take up a lift irrigation scheme from Jeedipalli reservoir to irrigate upland areas in the mandal.

It was also decided to represent their plea to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. . .Canal design and estimates would be prepared as per the canal capacity and water utilisation in the area through which it would pass.

Presently, it was being planned to design the canal with 71.3 cusecs capacity. The main canal from Jeedipalli reserovoir would enter Atmakur mandal after covering Beluguppa and Kudair mandals. Though it would run for about 24 kms in Atmakur mandal before entering Kanaganapalli mandal at Kondapalli, only a few low-lying areas would get water.

Villages including Atmakur, P.Yaleru, Siddarampuram, P.Kothapalli, Muttala, Papampalli, Goridindla and others lie on the upland areas and thus are denied water from the Handri Canal as per its design presently being planned.

The meeting urged the government to uplift the villages from regular drought conditions, poverty, illiteracy and other problems .

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