Uttam vows to fast-track Gouravelli irrigation project

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy exuded confidence that environmental clearance for the Gouravelli Irrigation Project would be secured soon, asserting that all legal and administrative hurdles would be cleared on priority.    

At a high-level review meeting held at the Secretariat here on Sunday, attended by Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, the Minister directed the officials to fast-track land acquisition under a time-bound programme. He assured the farmers of fair compensation and speedy payments, making it clear that there would be “zero excuses” in completing the land acquisition process before the June 2 deadline set by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Part of the Indiramma Flood Flow Canal (IFFC), the reservoir was initially planned with a 1.41 TMC capacity in Siddipet district to irrigate 1.06 lakh acres. The capacity was later enhanced to 8.23 TMC.

Referring to the Supreme Court case coming up for hearing in two days, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the Telangana Advocate General to be fully prepared with legal strategies. He expressed hope that the long-pending project, stalled for years due to multiple issues, would now move towards completion without further delay.

He also asked government advisor (Irrigation) Adityanath Das to resolve bottlenecks and instructed the Collectors of Karimnagar, Jangaon and Siddipet to accord top priority to land acquisition, particularly in areas where urbanisation has driven up land values