Chandrababu Naidu to inaugurate Veligonda Project, calls it fulfilment of 30-year-old promise

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Chandrababu Naidu said the inauguration at Markapuram on the Veligonda Project on August 31 would herald a new chapter in the development of the region. (Photo: X/@ncbn)

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said the completion of Phase-I of the Veligonda Project marked the fulfilment of a commitment he had made three decades ago to transform the drought-prone and backward regions of the erstwhile Prakasam district.

In a post on X on Tuesday (August 25, 2026), Mr. Naidu announced that he would inaugurate the Veligonda Project on August 31 and release 10.7 TMC of water into Nallamala Sagar, describing the occasion as a historic milestone for the region.

వెలిగొండ జలసిరులు – అభివృద్ధికి రెక్కలు ఎన్నో అవాంతరాలు, అడ్డంకులు, సవాళ్లు, సమస్యలను అధిగమించి భగీరథ ప్రయత్నంతో, గొప్ప సంకల్పంతో వెలిగొండ ఫేజ్‌-1ను పూర్తి చేసి కరువు నేలకు కృష్ణమ్మ జలాలను అందించబోతున్నాం. తీవ్ర కరువు ప్రాంతంగా, అత్యంత వెనుకబాటుతనంతో ఉన్న ఉమ్మడి ప్రకాశం జిల్లా… pic.twitter.com/TOAAJHxHSU

The Chief Minister said he had laid the foundation stone for the project on March 5, 1996, during his earlier tenure as Chief Minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh. “Three decades later, I am going to inaugurate the same project with my own hands,” he said, sharing a photograph of the foundation-laying ceremony.

Stating that the project had overcome numerous obstacles, challenges and setbacks, Mr. Naidu said Phase-I had been completed through what he described as a determined and “Bhagiratha-like effort” to bring Krishna waters to the parched lands of the region.

According to him, Phase-I of the project would provide irrigation to 1.19 lakh acres, while Phase-II was expected to extend irrigation facilities to another 3.283 lakh acres. The project would also provide drinking water benefits to lakhs of people who had faced drought and water scarcity for generations.

Mr. Naidu said the inauguration at Markapuram on August 31 would herald a new chapter in the development of the region. “The waters of Veligonda will bring life and prosperity to the drought-hit region. Agriculture will flourish and development will gain wings,” he said.

The Chief Minister also linked the Veligonda Project to his broader development vision for the western parts of Prakasam and Rayalaseema. He said the government had fulfilled the long-standing aspiration of the people by creating Markapuram district and was preparing to launch major horticulture development works in Rayalaseema and the erstwhile Prakasam district with investments of ₹1 lakh crore.

Infrastructure development, including national highways, the Bengaluru-Amaravati highway and the Ramayapatnam port, would open new avenues for trade, industry and logistics in the region, he said.

Mr.