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No bidders for Velugodu cement canal lining works
Cement lining works of Chennai canal of the Velugodu Balancing Reservoir are being delayed for the past three decades in spite of allocation of Rs 250 crore in the current year’s budget. In the last year’s budget also, equal amount of allocations have been made in the budget but contractors evinced no interest to execute works apprehending losses.
Atmakur (Kurnool): Cement lining works of Chennai canal of the Velugodu Balancing Reservoir are being delayed for the past three decades in spite of allocation of Rs 250 crore in the current year’s budget. In the last year’s budget also, equal amount of allocations have been made in the budget but contractors evinced no interest to execute works apprehending losses.
Highlights:
- Contractors hesitant to execute 18 km length cement lining works apprehending losses
- The govt allocated `250 crore but contractors want to take up works if allocation is increased to `400 crore
- Ayacut farmers expressing anguish over the delay in commencing the lining works
Cement lining works for a length of 18 km of the canal are required to be done. The tail-end ayacut lands are not getting adequate irrigation facility for want of the cement lining.
It has become ritual for state government to make allocations in the budget and officials diverting it to other purposes because the allocations are inadequate. A report has been sent to the government seeking allocations from Rs 250 crore to Rs 400 crore for the lining works in the budget for 2017-18. Near and dear of the water resources ministry are trying to increase the allocations for the cement lining works to Rs 400 crore and grab the contract.
In fact, the canal developed a major breach at Krishna Nandi and water is flowing waste. Instead of putting to use 29 tmcft of Srisailam project surplus waters as part of the Telugu-Ganga project, the Velugodu reservoir is storing only 16.95 tmcft. Construction of distributor canals and feeder canals are yet to complete. It seems that taking up of the cement lining works this year unlikely as the River Krishna will be in floods from August this year following the advent of monsoons.
Moreover, bids for the works have not yet been finalised. Somehow even if the bids are finalized, the contractor will not take up works citing rains as the cause. The ayacut farmers have been expressing their anguish over the delay in commencing the lining works.
By M Sathya Peter
