Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu announced that 299 out of 517 tanks under the Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project have been successfully filled with Krishna river water, marking a major milestone in restoring water security across the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.

Chairing a review meeting at the Kurnool Irrigation Chief Engineer’s office, the Minister congratulated officials for completing the HNSS main canal works on time. He directed them to ensure uninterrupted water flow up to Kuppam, and to maintain continuous monitoring to prevent any disruptions.

Ramanaidu contrasted the current progress with the previous five years under the YSRCP regime, alleging that the earlier government had paralysed the HNSS project. “What the YSRCP couldn’t achieve in five years, our coalition government has delivered within a year,” he asserted.

Highlighting the government’s achievement, the Minister said the state’s reservoirs, with a total capacity of 961 TMC ft, currently hold 844 TMC ft of water, which is 87.86% of total capacity. In Rayalaseema alone, canals from the HNSS project cover 38 constituencies and feed 517 tanks. Of these, 174 tanks are filled completely, while 125 are partially filled. The remaining tanks will be prioritised and filled by February, he added.

The Minister credited the success to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of providing water to every acre of farmland. “Under his leadership, we’ve invested Rs 3,850 crore in this prestigious project and carried Krishna waters 738 km up to Kuppam, a historic achievement,” Ramanaidu said. He further revealed that irrigation and revenue officials, from Collectors to VROs, have been entrusted with monitoring tank filling operations to ensure accountability. Taking a dig at former CM Y.S. Jagan, Ramanaidu said the previous administration resorted to stage-managed inaugurations with rented tanks, gates, and flowers from Bengaluru that dried up soon after the photo ops. “People can now clearly see the difference between the YSRCP’s drama and our transparent, result-driven governance,” he remarked.