Lift Irrigation Schemes proposed from Devarakonda to Kodad under Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal jurisdiction by June 15

Asian Media Network 

A.Vijayendar Reddy  Correspondent

Chief MinisterKChandrashekhar Rao has instructed the officials concernedtocompleteestimatesfor all the Lift Irrigation Schemes proposed from Devarakonda to Kodad under Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal jurisdiction by June 15

And get ready for inviting the Tenders. For this, he had asked Minister Jagadeeshwar Reddy to take the responsibility to coordinate with the Irrigation officials. The CM suggested that 15 Lift projects sanctioned with laying foundation stone at Nellikallu, construction of canals, setting up of the Pumps and other related works’ estimates should be prepared. The CM instructed the Irrigation department officials to prepare estimates for each Lift separately and invite tenders for all of them at one time. 

In the backdrop of the Kaleswaram project becoming a boon to Telangana, in the beginning of the rainy season, from the upper regions to the last Ayucut Tungaturthy, all the tanks, reservoirs, check dams should be filled up. The CM said as on date, all the tanks and lakes are filled with water 90 per cent from the water supplied from Kaleswaram project and it raised the water table and farmers are going in for larger cultivation of the Paddy, as water is available in abundance. He wanted the Irrigation department should get ready to supply water to the lands to enable farmers to prepare tender plants (Naru Madi) and help them protection from the pests at the advent of Rohini Karte. 

The CM held a high-level meeting at Pragathi Bhavan here on Tuesday on the proposed Lift Irrigation projects under the Krishna Basin, progress of projects being constructed on Godavari river, repair and maintenance works of the projects on the onset of Monsoon, and other related irrigation issues.

In this meeting, Ministers Sri Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Sri Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Sri S Niranjan Reddy, MLCs Sri Seri Subhash Reddy, Sri M Srinivas Reddy, MLAs Sri M Yadagiri Reddy, Sri Hanmanth Shinde, Sri S Saidireddy, Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Sri Rajat Kumar, CM Secretary Ms Smita Sabharwal, E-in-C Sri Muralidhar Rao, OSD Sri Sridhar Deshpande, E-in-Cs Sri Hariram, Sri Venkateswarlu, Advisor Sri Pentareddy, Chief Engineers of Kaleswaram and other projects, other higher officials were present.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said,” We are constructing the irrigation projects spending thousands of Crores. We have to utilize them strategically with methods for the farmers’ welfare. Understand the availability of water in Pranahita and course of its flow. The flow in Pranahita will become torrential from June 20. At that point lift whatever water comes in lift it and fill tanks,

reservoirs, ponds under the Kaleswaram project Radar (Radius). There are some works to be attended for the repair of canals. Complete them and take up operation and maintenance. Utilize the Kaleswaram to the optimal level. Farmers are of the firm belief that if they go in for plantation during the Rohini Karte period, there would not be any pest menace and they get higher yields. Before this, tanks and ponds should be filled up. Please understand that the crop yielded by farmers does not belong to farmer alone but it is a wealth to the state. During the first phase of Corona difficult times, the crops that farmers cultivated have contributed 17 per cent income to the State GSDP and came to the rescue.

  The Telangana developed to such an extent that the Telangana agriculture has become backbone of the state’s economy. In the past, united AP rulers said agriculture is waste and looking down upon it. Now it is proved that the united AP rulers were wrong. Now agriculture in Telangana state is developed so much that the entire country is awestruck. Officials should understand this in some depth and take forward the irrigation Sector with wisdom,” the CM said.

“With the efforts put in by the irrigation department, the Irrigation and Agriculture sectors topography has changed in the State. It is no small achievement that under Kaleswaram project along two crops are cultivated in a year in 35 Lakh acres. Telangana state stood second in the country after Punjab in the Paddy production. Due to the negligence of the united AP rulers, in Telangana region in the past farmers have spent Rs 50,000 Crore from their own pockets and digged 30,000 Borewells. It was a pathetic situation then the farmers have sold the precious Jewelry of their wives like the Mangal Sutra to cultivate crops

. With projects like the Kaleswaram, the borewells are now overflowing with water, as there is a raise in the water table. Under borewells the Ayucut cultivated is equal to the Ayucut under the irrigation water. With the government supplying 24-hour uninterrupted, quality and free power to the farm sector, farmers are cultivating bumper crops and the borewells are stabilized with the water. At the formation of Telangana State, there is not even one TMC available but now we are storing 100 TMC of water under the rivers,” the CM explained.

The CM instructed the engineers to keep filling up of tanks, ponds, and reservoirs as on top priority this Monsoon season. The Check dams constructed with Rs 4000 crore are yielding good results and storing water. 50,000 tanks should be filled to the brim and by June 30, the first phase of Check dam’s should be completed, the CM instructed.

The CM said water would be available from Yellampally to Dummugudem till October last week and the water should be lifted immediately to fill up check dams, tanks and ponds. This will ensure water for the second crop and will raise the ground water table.  The CM said same method should be followed in the Krishna basin too. He said at the same time, measures should be taken not to create problem for the drinking water supply and Minimum water Levels should be maintained at the reservoirs. He instructed irrigation officials to maintain the MDDL levels in the Reservoirs.

The CM said with the revival of the SRSP, there is no water shortage Suryapet and Tungaturthy last Ayucut. He said Mallanna Sagar is becoming a boon to Husnabad, Old Medak, Aler, Bhongir and Janagaon. If Sitarama project is completed it would become a gold piece for the Khammam district.  He said Devadula project would be dedicated exclusively to Warangal district. Similarly, he wanted the officials to prepare maintenance strategy for other projects in other districts, Godavari Krishna basin irrigation projects.

The CM said Rs 700 Crore is kept with the Irrigation officials to repair the canals and other works. He reminded that under the united AP rule for O&M not even rupees one crore was allocated for the canals in Telangana. He wanted repairs to the gates; canals should be attended for the coming season. He said funds for the construction of projects, operations and maintenance would be released from the Finance department and the same would be kept with the Irrigation secretary. “If we press a button at Kaleswaram, water should flow to the tail end of the Ayucut without any problem. Make arrangements accordingly,” the CM said.

The CM said for the Nellikallu Lift whose foundation stone was laid under the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly segment recently, which has a capacity to supply water to 24,000 Acres, old tender should be cancelled and new tender should be invited. The CM instructed that this process should be completed in a week’s time. The CM also inquired about the progress of works on sadarghat Barrage. 

The CM made it clear that in the Irrigation department, which dynamic and live, no post should be kept vacant even for a day. He said promotion should be given to the eligible regularly and the vacant posts should be filled up. Keeping in view the special needs of the Irrigation department, recruitment process through the Board would be allowed. The CM instructed E-in-C Sri Muralidhar Rao to submit him a report on the vacancies position in the department from top to bottom. The CM said very soon appointment of the JEs and Lashkar for the maintenance of the canals. 

The CM also inquired about the medium irrigation projects in Adilabad district and their progress. He ordered for a status report. Since works on Sarakka and Sammakka Barrage is over, he wanted engineers to be deputed them for training for the barrage maintenance. The CM also instructed that staff Quarters should be constructed at all the Major Lifts and Pumps and stop land acquisition for the contractors’ camps. He wanted the SRSP revival scheme’s third phase works should be completed immediately.

He wanted the officials to take up works pertaining to DBM 71 Canal lining from Mylaram Tank to Suryapet, Tungaturthy. He also wanted Haldi Vagu cancel modernization works to be completed to give water to 7,000 Acres Ayucut. The CM asked the officials to have discussion with the WAPCO for the Ayucut Survey for the Lifts in Mancherial, Kagaznagar,

Bellampalli in east Adilabad district to supply water to 2 Lakh acres. He wanted DPRs to be done for the Sangameswar and Basaveswara Lifts Schemes in Sangareddy district. He has instructed officials to complete Sitarama Sagar project in Khammam district by next June. He said any problems and issues of the project should be brought to the notice of Ms Smita Sabharwal and Sri Sridhar Deshpande. He wanted speeding up of works on Mallanna Sagar and enquired about Armoor and Balkonda Lifts. The CM also inquired about works on Bunadhigani Canal, Dharmareddy Canal and Pillaipalli Canals in Nalgonda district. 

The CM reviewed each and every project under the Godavari and Krishna Basins. “The entire Telangana statehood movement had centered with irrigation water as the main objective. We have agitated for the separate state with commitment. Our efforts to make one crore acres fertile  in the State is yielding results. At this juncture we will not bother about money. Telangana state stood first in the country as far as spending money on the irrigation projects. We will overcome the difficulties arisen out of Corona. We will arrange funds for the projects,” the CM said.

The CM wanted the officials to change their working culture in tune with the changing circumstances and to conduct a workshop on O&M for the engineers in June first week. He asked the engineers to be careful while preparing the estimates.