Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu has assured that the Veligonda Project will be completed and water supplied by 2026.

During a video conference with officials and representatives of the executing agencies, he reviewed the project's progress and set clear deadlines. The Minister emphasized that the lining work of Tunnel-2 must be completed by June 2026, with about 3.2 km of the seven km tunnel lining already finished. The remaining 3.6 km is scheduled to be completed by June. The work had slowed in November due to Cyclone Montha, which caused water to enter the tunnels, but it resumed in December after dewatering.

As of now, four gantry cranes are working on the tunnel, with instructions to add one more to ensure timely completion. The Minister also discussed the issue of a stuck tunnel boring machine (TBM) and assured necessary actions will follow the Technical Committee's recommendations.