“Service to man is service to God”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Statistics:
Population served by 2024: 11.89 million people
(3.19 million + Chennai City 8.7 million)
Total length of the system: 4,296 km
Total cost of all projects: RUB 6.83 billion
Number of localities covered: 1,621 municipalities + Chennai City


Anantapur Drinking Water Supply Project


Anantapur district is one of the most arid and backward districts in Andhra Pradesh. The three major rivers Pennar, Hagari and Chitravathi that flow in the district are not perennial and remain dry during the summer months. Tanks and rivers dry up most of the year and groundwater is also scarce. Even the available groundwater is brackish and high in fluoride content. Excess fluoride in the water caused fluorosis leading to widespread skeletal and dental deformities. Thus, the people of Anantapur have long been suffering from lack of water even for drinking. Villagers had to walk long distances in the harsh and unrelenting heat to fetch water for their daily consumption.

In November 1995, Bhagavan announced his concern over the suffering of the people of Rayalseema due to lack of drinking water. He said, “Water supply to Rayalaseema should be ensured throughout the year. Today it is a Raallaseema (a rocky region). It should be transformed into Ratnalaseema (land shining like a diamond).”

In March 1995, the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust began work on a project to supply pure drinking water to the villages of the drought-ravaged Anantapur district. Bhagawan’s mandate was simple and straightforward: to provide drinking water throughout the year to as many people as possible, in as many villages, in the shortest possible time. Accordingly, a project plan for bringing water to the villages was drawn up which included four types of schemes. The main strategy was to harness water from rivers, where available, in dams, canals and river beds and then deliver the water through an elaborate network of storage reservoirs, booster pumps and pipelines.

The four schemes involved were:

Direct pumping
Water is drawn from an existing irrigation dam and then distributed to the villages through a network of pipelines. For the project, water from the Penna Ahobilam balancing reservoir is sent for treatment to a rapid sand filtration system and then pumped to about 93 villages in Kalyandurg, Atmakur and Udiripikonda sectors.

Infiltration well schemes
In some areas, infiltration wells are dug in river beds to extract water from underground streams. The groundwater is then pumped out throughout the year from these wells and conveyed to a collector well from where it is distributed to many places by a system of pumps. The water obtained is pure and requires minimal treatment. For this purpose, wells were dug on the banks of the Chitravathi, Hagari and Pennar rivers.

Summer Storage Tank Scheme
This method is used at places where surface water dries up during acute summer conditions. Water is drawn from the Tunghabhadra Canal during the rainy season and fed to a set of summer storage tanks, from where water is pumped during the dry season. The summer storage tanks are spread over an area of ​​about 100 acres. This scheme covers 97 villages.

Well Schemes
This simple scheme covered 279 villages and involved drilling deep wells and installing submersible pumps to extract the water. This procedure was used wherever the ground water was found to be sufficient and free from excessive fluoride content.

The first phase of the project was inaugurated on 18th November 1995 by the then Prime Minister of India, Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao at a function held at the Poornachandra Auditorium in Prasanthi Nilayam. In all, the project covered 731 villages at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore and was completed in a record time of eighteen months thanks not only to a dedicated team of workers from various establishments but also to thousands of inspired villagers who contributed their mite to make this Divine project successful. The project benefited a total of 1.25 million people.

Project Statistics:

  • About 2,000 km of pipelines of various diameters were laid
  • 43 sumps with capacities ranging from 1 lakh (0.1 million) litres to 25 lakh litres were constructed.
  • 18 surge tanks with capacities ranging from 3 lakh litres to 10 lakh litres have been constructed on top of the mounds.
  • 270 elevated reservoirs were constructed. Capacity: 40,000 – 300,000 litres
  • 125 ground level reservoirs were installed. Capacity: 20,000 litres – 80,000 litres.
  • More than 1,500 prefabricated concrete cisterns with a capacity of 2,500 litres have been installed in various villages. Each cistern has four taps for people to collect water.
  • The project was formally handed over to the Government of Andhra Pradesh in October 1997.

This project has received much praise from the Government of India:

The Ninth Five Year Plan document of the Government of India to the Trust in recognition of the project in Volume 2 (item 3.7.43), which read: “…Sri Satya Sai Trust of Puttaparthi has set an unparalleled example of private initiative in implementing on its own, without budgetary support from the State, a massive water supply project, with an expenditure of Rs. 250 crores, for the benefit of about 730 scarcity and fluoride salinity affected villages and some towns in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh within a period of about 18 months. This innovative effort should encourage corporate groups, trusts and foundations.”
On 23rd November 1999, the Department of Posts of the Government of India issued a postage stamp and a postal cover in recognition of the pioneering service rendered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in addressing the problem of supply of safe drinking water to the rural masses.

Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project – Phase 2:
The water table in the three mandals of Bukkapatnam, Kothacheruvu and Puttaparthi in Anantapur district has dropped drastically and the normal depth of borewells was more than 600 feet. Also, almost all the households in these mandals were affected by excess fluoride in the water. The fluoride content ranged between 2 PPM and 4 PPM, against the safe levels of around 1 PPM. This excess fluoride causes serious health risks such as rheumatoid arthritis, tooth decay, intestinal problems, etc.

During the year 2013, the Trust decided to undertake the project of supplying water to the 118 households in the three mandals of Puttaparthi, Kothacheruvu and Bukkapatnam which were not covered by the Anantapur Water Supply Project of 1995. The Government of Andhra Pradesh accepted the proposal of the Central Trust and came forward to bear the cost of electrical installations besides providing the land and water required for the project. In addition, the Government of Andhra Pradesh also exempted this project from all taxes. This scheme, like the previous one, provides drinking water.

This scheme involved:

  • Construction of head works at Peddakotla
  • 10MLD water treatment plant at Maddala Cheruvu
  • 5 sumps at Apparacheruvu, Krishnapuram Road Cross, Kesapuram and Kothacheruvu
  • 2 ground level balancing reservoirs at Kothacheruvu (Hillock), Pedapally and HNSS tunnel, acting as intermediate stations
  • 2 overhead balancing reservoirs and pump houses at various places.


Medak and Mahabubnagar Drinking Water Supply Project



Following the Anantapur Drinking Water Supply Project, the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust replicated the model to supply water to 320 villages in Medak and Mahabubnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh. As in Anantapur, the groundwater in these regions contains excessive concentration of fluoride. Pollution from industrial effluents had further aggravated the problem. The Trust stepped in to provide pure and safe drinking water to the people of these districts in 2001.

The project, with an outlay of Rs 80 crore, draws water from the Chitravathi buffer reservoir in Peddakotla. 411 km of pipelines have been laid with the capacity to supply water to a population of 250,000 people.

The project draws water primarily from the backwaters of the Jurala Project built on the Krishna River in Mahabubnagar district and the Manjeera River in Medak district. The project, which cost Rs 530 crore, covered a total area of ​​640 sq km and benefited a total population of about 1 million in the two districts.

Project for Chennai


The city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the largest city in South India, with a population of about six million. It was built in the early 18th century by British colonists and developed by them as a major port and a centre for trade and commerce. Today, it is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and a bustling metropolitan city attracting business investments in the manufacturing sectors and also in the areas of information technology and biotechnology. But until December 2004 it was also a city with a major problem.


The city of Chennai is located on the east coast of India. However, it lies in the rain shadow region of the southwest monsoon and has to rely on the fickle northeast monsoon for its water supply. There are no major rivers near the city. Therefore, Chennai has had to live with the problem of water scarcity since the late 19th century. In recent years, the problem has become more acute and some areas of the city have been left without water supply for three days at a time during the harsh and humid summer months. The city, with its large population, needed around 750 million litres of water a day and had to make do with only 250 million litres. Long hours of waiting for a few litres of water at unpredictable and sometimes inconvenient hours from the communal water sump seemed to be the norm everywhere in Chennai.

In the early 1960s, the Central Government announced that 15 TMC (thousand billion cubic feet) of water from the perennial Krishna river would be brought to Madras annually, and the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra would contribute 5 TMC each from their share of Krishna waters. Water from the Somasila reservoir in Nellore district was to be taken to the Kandaleru reservoir in Nellore district and thence to the Poondi reservoir in Tamil Nadu that supplies the city of Chennai, through a 150-kilometre-long canal.

This canal connecting the Kandaleru and Poondi reservoirs was named Telugu Ganga and was completed in 1996. But to the dismay of Chennai residents, out of the planned 15 TMC of water, only 0.5 TMC of water reached the Poondi reservoir. The reasons were manifold: evaporation, seepage and erosion of the canal walls contributed to the reduced flow and after a few years, the canal had fallen into disrepair. For the desperate millions of Chennai residents, there seemed to be no solution in sight for their problem.

Until Bhagawan, on January 19, 2002, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore, shocked everyone with His announcement that He had decided to resolve the plight of the thirsty millions in Chennai. He said, “Today I have taken a new resolution. Madras is suffering from a severe shortage of drinking water. The rich can buy water sold by tanker services, but what are the poor to do? They have been dependent on rainwater that has accumulated in puddles and ditches, thereby damaging their health. Therefore, I have decided to work to bring clean drinking water to Madras, however difficult and costly the task may be.” People wondered why He had chosen this occasion to make His Will known, until they realised that this day was also the anniversary of Sundaram, Bhagawan’s Mandir (temple) in Chennai.

The project undertaken by Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust which commenced in July 2002, involved renovation of the dilapidated Kandaleru-Poondi canal as well as upgrading the capacity of the Kandaleru reservoir. This would not only ensure adequate water supply to Chennai but would also help irrigate around 3 lakh (0.3 million) acres of agricultural land in Nellore and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh. With the blessings and grace of Bhagawan, the project took off at a rapid pace on many fronts employing the most modern technology.
The project mainly involved the following works:

Improvements to Kandaleru reservoir:

The reservoir capacity was increased more than four-fold from 16TMC to 68TMC by lining sections of the dam. The lining involved reinforcing the soil by embedding stones, which are then held together by gabions (wire structures). This stops soil erosion and improves the life of the reservoir wall sections. In addition, the access channel from the reservoir to the 4-kilometre-long Kandaleru-Poondi canal was also renovated.

Kandaleru-Poondi Canal Lining

This canal is about 150 kilometres long. The Central Trust undertook the task of lining about 65 kilometres of vulnerable sections of the canal with concrete. The cross section of the canal was first prepared on hydraulic principles to optimise the flow of water. Then a layer of about 100 mm of concrete was poured on the bed and walls of the canal. Mechanised pavers were used to press the concrete. In certain sections, Geomembranes made of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) sheets were placed over the final bed to prevent water seepage.

Construction of Regulators and Escape Structures
Three escape structures have been built along the canal to divert water out of the canal in the event of a flood. In addition, inspection roads and conduits have been built in certain sections of the canal to take advantage of rainwater that runs off from mountainous areas.

SOME PROJECT STATISTICS
Soil excavation 11,000,000 cubic meters
Hard rock excavation 80,000 cubic meters
Stone masonry work 15,000 cubic meters.
Rough stone cladding 30,000 cubic meters
Gunite concrete cement 2,35,000 square meters
Cement concrete cladding 1,85,000 square meters



About 4,000 workers were employed and the work was carried out round the clock. The project was completed in a record time of sixteen months. The Andhra Pradesh Government, in gratitude and thanks to Bhagawan, renamed the Kandaleru-Poondi canal from Telugu Ganga to Sathya Sai Ganga. Now it was just a matter of the Kandaleru reservoir being filled before the water could begin the historic journey to Chennai.

Finally, on 23rd November 2004, during the 79th birthday celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the gates of the Kandaleru reservoir were opened. The gushing waters travelled the 150 kilometres to the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, reaching the border in a record time of four days, as against the eight to ten days it used to take before the project. 27th November 2004, the blessed day when the Poondi reservoir started filling up with Sai Ganga water, happened to be Bhagawan’s birthday according to the Telugu astrological calendar!

The suffering residents of Chennai finally found help. The Lord had come to their rescue without their asking and showered upon them His abundant blessings. A few days after the release of the water, on December 11, the devotees of Chennai gathered at Prashanti Nilayam to express their gratitude to their Lord. Bhagavan went straight to them and asked, “Has the water reached Chennai?” ​​The devotees replied in the affirmative and thanked Him profusely. Bhagavan’s face radiated the joy and love of a thousand mothers. He said, “I am happy that the water has reached My thirsty children.”

During Bhagavan’s visit to Chennai in January 2007, the Chennai Citizens’ Conclave organised a grand meeting to express their gratitude to Bhagavan for His generous gift of water to Chennai through the Sathya Sai Ganga Canal. The meeting held on 21st January 2007 at the huge Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai was packed with people and was attended by many eminent persons of Chennai including the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Dr. M. Karunanidhi and his entire cabinet of ministers.

Initially, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust had undertaken the repair of the entire approximately 154 kilometre portion of the canal within Andhra Pradesh. Water flowed with full force and without wastage through this stretch of the canal up to the state border. But the repair of the approximately 25 kilometre stretch of canal within Tamil Nadu had not been undertaken earlier. This portion was badly damaged; the earth banks had slipped affecting the proper flow of water and also causing wastage. This deprived Chennai of getting the full benefits of the project. Bhagawan therefore directed Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust to take up the work of repairing the section of the canal within Tamil Nadu, including the Link and Feeder Canal, up to the Red Hills Lake where the raw water is stored, treated and supplied to the city of Chennai. The project has thus been completed.

View of the Canal before the works began:

During the works:

After the works:


Sri Sathya Sai Drinking Water Supply Project in East Godavari and West Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh



The upland and backward areas of East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh, which are mainly inhibited by tribals and poor people, were mainly dependent on wells and streams to meet their drinking water needs. The wells were drying up and the water levels were falling every year due to excessive use of groundwater. Moreover, the waters of natural streams had unsafe levels of bacteria and required treatment. Moreover, the well water also contained excess iron in some pockets. It was in this context that Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust decided to undertake a massive project for supply of drinking water to approximately 452 tribal and upland habitations in East Godavari and West Godavari districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India.

150,000 OHSR in Dipkayalapadu

3.5 MLD treatment plant at Kutrawada

1,000,000 Cap OHBR in Purushothapatnam

East Godavari District
Around 212 households covering a population of over 220,000 people have benefited from the project in East Godavari district. The main sources of water are the Godavari River and its tributary Pamuleru, which flow throughout the year.

Under the first scheme, on the Godavari River at Purushottapatnam village, a 6-metre diameter intake well was constructed and vertical turbine pumps with a capacity of 100 HP were installed to pump raw water to the water treatment plant. The plant, with a capacity of 10.5 million litres per day (MLD), uses the rapid sand filtration method and pumps clean water to a 1,000,000 litre capacity ground-level balance reservoir situated on a hilltop. From here, water is supplied to the villages by gravity.

10.50 MLD water treatment plant at Purushothapatnam

21.75 MLD Water Treatment Plant in Hukumpeta

Cistern in Bangarampeta

Under the second scheme, on the Pamuleru river at Kutravada village, an intake well draws water and pumps it to a 3.5 MLD capacity treatment plant, from where pure drinking water reaches the villages.

The total length of pipelines laid is around 535 km and consists of various types of pipes such as glass reinforced plastic pipes, mild steel pipes, ductile iron pipes, asbestos cement pipes, high density polyethylene pipes, etc.

Cistern in Kutravada

BPT, GLBR Pump chamber and sump in Indukurupeta

Intake well at Kutravada

West Godavari District
The project provides drinking water to about 240 households covering a population of over 4.70 lakhs in West Godavari district. Raw water is drawn from a 6 metre diameter intake well constructed on the Godavari river near Polavaram village and pumped through vertical turbine pumps having a capacity of 360 HP to a treatment plant situated near Hukumpeta village at a distance of 7 kilometres. The plant, with a capacity of 21.75 MLD, uses rapid sand filters and pumps pure water to a ground level service reservoir of 11.50 lakh litres situated on a nearby hill, from where water flows to various villages by gravity. A Microfiltration Plant of 1.05 MLD capacity has also been provided. The total length of pipelines laid under this scheme is about 640 kilometres.

Access bridge to the intake shaft at Polavaram

The projects in both districts were completed and handed over to the Government of Andhra Pradesh on 15 September 2007 for operation and maintenance.