Palamuru-Rangareddy to be operational in 20 months: Uttam

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, on Sunday announced a special drive to fast-track irrigation works aimed at benefiting farmers in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district and other South Telangana regions. He pledged to make the Palamuru‑Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme fully operational within the next 20 months and complete the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme, Nettempadu Lift Irrigation Scheme, Bhima Lift Irrigation Scheme and Koilsagar Project by March 2027.

Reviewing the progress of irrigation works in the region, the minister said the government would ensure full utilisation of the State’s share of river waters without losing a drop.

He said the government has earmarked specific allocations to accelerate the projects, including Rs. 909 crore for Kalwakurthy, Rs. 252 crore for Nettempadu, Rs. 200 crore for Bhima and Rs. 185 crore for Koilsagar over the next year. The works are being implemented in mission mode, with land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) activities also being expedited.

Quoting Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said land acquisition for major irrigation projects across the State has been accorded top priority. The government plans to release ₹5,000 crore by June 2 to complete land acquisition for key projects.

The minister alleged that several irrigation projects in the region were neglected during the decade-long rule of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) since 2014. He criticised the decision to shift the off-take point for the Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme from Jurala Dam to Srisailam Dam, saying the change increased lift costs and disadvantaged the State. He also cited similar issues with the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, where the water source was shifted from Tummidi Hatti to Medigadda Barrage.

He said the previous government had obtained administrative approval for Rs. 35,200 crore for the Palamuru-Rangareddy project but spent about Rs. 27,000 crore with little progress. According to him, only one pump was briefly operated in September 2023 and it did not irrigate any significant area.

Project costs have since escalated, with revised estimates placing the cost at around Rs. 55,000 crore, excluding distributary networks. The overall expenditure could reach Rs. 80,000 crore, he said, adding that the present government was committed to completing the project regardless of the cost.

Since December 7, 2023, the Congress government has spent Rs. 7,161 crore on the scheme, including Rs. 6,718 crore on project works, Rs. 284.71 crore on land acquisition, Rs. 63.65 crore on R&R and Rs. 94 crore on other project-related components.

Jurala desilting

The minister also directed officials to immediately begin desilting works at the Priyadarshini Jurala Project to restore its designed gross storage capacity. Originally built with a capacity of about 11.94 TMC, the reservoir’s effective storage has declined to around 9 TMC due to sedimentation over the three decades since its commissioning in 1995. He suggested exploring the use of sand removed from the reservoir for construction works.