State expedites PRLI project works

Hyderabad: After Kaleshwaram, the State government hastened official process to take up Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation (PRLI) project works in full swing. The government has already prepared the report on the project which is to be submitted to the Centre to finalise the TOR (Terms of References) in two months. 

The preparation of DPR (Detailed Project Report) is also under progress. Despite facing NGT (National Green Tribunal) hurdle, the government is making all preparations for the project. The government envisaged the lift irrigation scheme to irrigate an ayacut of 12. 

30 lack acres in drought-prone upland areas of Mahbubnagar district (7 lack acres), Rangareddy (5 lack acres) and Nalgonda (30,000 acres) and to meet drinking water requirement in several villages, as well as Hyderabad city. It also meant water for industries by lifting 120 TMC FT of water from foreshore of Srisailam Reservoir. The government has taken up the project at the cost nearly Rs 35,000 crore. 

The officials of the State Irrigation Department told The Hans India that based on the report, the Union Ministry of Water Resources would issue TOR for the project. Based on the TOR, the government will have to furnish EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The Central authorities will accord environmental and forest clearances after studying the reports.        

Officials said that the extent of land required in the forest zones to take up the lift project was under finalisation. The works for drinking water component under the project were already taken up. Works for the distributary canals will be taken up once the Centre gives environmental clearances. Land acquisition in the non-forest areas has come to an end. 

The major challenges like the development of power infrastructure to lift water from five reservoirs under the scheme and the utilisation of 90 TMC ft of  surplus water from the Krishna river will also be addressed before the beginning of the project works.