Sita Rama project gets green nod

​Hyderabad: Within a month of overseeing irrigation-related affairs after assuming the office for the second consecutive term, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao succeeded in getting long-pending environmental clearance from the Centre for the ongoing Sita Rama Lift Irrigation project taken up at the cost of Rs 14,000 crore on Godavari in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests accorded necessary environmental clearances for the project based on the recommendations made by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) in the ministry. The EAC studied in detail the DPR (Detailed Project Report) submitted by the Telangana government before giving the nod. The main components of the project are -construction of head regulator at Dummugudem anicut on River Godavari, construction of lined canals, four pump houses. 

It also has delivery cisterns, laying of pumping main, cross drainage works across main canal and construction of tunnels, cross regulators and off-takes as main components.

The project envisages construction of head regulator at Dummugudem anicut. No construction of dam or barrage is involved in the project. The lift project will divert water from Godavari from upstream of existing Dummugudem anicut to irrigate 2.73 lakh hectares (new ayacut of 1.33 lakh hectares and stabilisation of about 1.4 lakh hectares) in Bhadradri and Mahabubabad districts. 

A provision of 3 tmc ft of water will be made available for drinking purposes in the command area for about 58 lakh people. State Irrigation officials said that the total requirement of the land for the project is about 8,477 hectares out of which 1,531 hectares will be the forest land. 

A total of 157 villages consisting of 9,696 families are likely to be affected due to this project. The government has proposed to complete the project in three years.

The Union ministry has put the condition that the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) shall be strictly adhered and the budgetary provisions for implementation of EMP, shall be fully utilised and not to be diverted to any other purpose. In case of revision of the project cost or due to price level change, the cost of EMP should also be updated, officials said.