Pulichintala Project is a multipurpose project serving irrigation needs, hydro power generation and flood control. It is a crucial irrigation facility for farmers of four coastal districts of West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam where irrigation facility for 13 lakh acres. It has 24 gates in all with balancing reservoir with a capacity of 46 tmcft at MSL full reservoir level. The project started impounding the water in August 2014. The cost of the project has exceeded Rs.1850 crores.
History
The project was first conceived in 1911 by British engineer Col Ellis. The foundation stone was laid by the then Chief Minister, N. T. Rama Rao on 13 November 1988 at a projected cost of 188 crores. It was the first project to start under the ambitious Jalayagnam in the year 2004–05 which was started by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. It was opened on 7 December 2013 by CM of Andhra Pradesh, Kiran Kumar Reddy. And full Project completed in Sep 2018 by Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu with a Storing Capacity of 45 TMC water ready to release.
Main article : Vykuntapuram Barrage To stabilize the existing irrigated ayacut area under Nagarjuna Sagar right canal, a new lift project construction with greenfield alignment was started having five-step ladder pumping Stages and Canal to transfer 7,000 cusecs of Godavari water from Prakasam barrage back waters into the Nagarjuna Sagar right canal near Nekarikallu in the first phase of Godavari Penna River linking project to utilize 73 tmcft of Godavari water. With FRL 25M newly created Vykuntapuram Barrage pond will have back waters beyond Pokkunuru up to the toe of Pulichinthala Project. It is more economical to construct First stage pump house of this lift project to lift water from Prakasam Barrage Back water into Newly Created Vykuntapuram Barrage pond and the second Lift stage from Vykuntapuram Barrage pond to Existing K.L Rao sagar pulichintala Project and later lift Stages from K.L Rao Sagar to Nagarjuna sagar right canal. It will shorten the length of this lift project canal, Pressure Main and fewer lift stages and also enables to lift water up to Srisailam Project via existing Reversible Reverse turbine pump houses in Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and its tail pond project. It is even more economical if with construction of a new gravity canal from Ibrahimpatnam to Vykuntapuram Barrage pond to deliver the Polavaram right main canal/ Budameru diversion canal waters directly into the Vykuntapuram barrage pond since Polavaram right main canal level is 33 m MSL at Ambapuram hill near Vijayawada. A low level lift canal from the Krishna river located near at MSL in the downstream of Pulichintala dam will be executed to feed Godavari water diverted from Polavaram Dam to some of the existing command area under Nagarjuna Sagar right bank canal to facilitate extension of Nagarjuna Sagar right bank canal connecting to Kandaleru feeder canal / Somasila reservoir for serving irrigation needs in Prakasam, Potti Sriramulu Nellore and Chittur districts including Chennai drinking water supply. A branch from this lift canal is also extended up to Pulichinthala dam to store Godavari water in Pulichintala reservoir during drought years and to irrigate low lands along Krishna river up to Pulichintala dam.
