Irrigation projects put on fast-track

 ​Hyderabad: Taking a serious note of the delay in completion of some irrigation projects, the State Irrigation department has prepared an action plan 2018-19, to complete the works on war footing.  

As the government created a Corporation to mobilise funds for Kaleshwaram, it has decided to utilise Rs 25,000 crore earmarked for irrigation in the new budget for the completion of all pending major and medium projects which are at the different stages of construction.  

Officials said the State government has accorded top priority to only Kaleshwaram and few other projects in the last two financial years. As a result, many project works were moving at the snail’s pace.  In all, the State government has taken up 36 projects which were pending at different stages. Sixteen major projects which include SRSP stage-2, Sripadasagar–Yellampalli, Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, Indiramma Sagar, Kalwakurthi, Nettempadu, Bheema and Koilsagar will be given utmost priority. 

The medium irrigation projects like Kinnerasani, Modikuntavagu, Gollavagu, Ralivagu, Komarambheem project and Gaddenna-Suddavagu projects and modernisation projects – Nizam Sagar and Nagarjuna Sagar- will also be completed by the end of this year.

Officials said the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Project works under drinking water component were in the progress. The irrigation component works will be taken up only after getting clearances from National Green Tribunal. The other two major projects, Dindi and Sitarama lift irrigation projects already got required forest and environmental clearances recently.  

The other irrigation schemes Rollavagu tank, Sadarmatt barrage, Jawahar–Nettempadu lift irrigation scheme and Indiramma flood flow canal from SRSP, Mallannasagar etc have got clearances and the land acquisition was also completed.  

Officials said all the required funds for completion of Kaleshwaram project will be borne by the Kaleshwaram Corporation. Plans were also afoot to float a corporation to take up Palamuru Ranga Reddy project once the required clearances are sanctioned for the project.  

Sources said the government has targeted to complete works of all irrigation projects taken up by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s government before 2019 elections. Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao has been entrusted with the task of monitoring works regularly and complete them before the deadline set by the Chief Minister.