Hyderabad: To bring more lands in Telangana under irrigation, the TRS government decided to prioritise the projects for early completion and pumping more funds to some projects. This was stated by Telangana state irrigation minister T. Harish Rao told Deccan Chronicle in an interview on Saturday.
“Our government is not interested to take up all projects in one go and take percentages (kickbacks) from the contractors and do nothing. We have decided to prioritise certain projects which can be completed in a year or two and slow down other projects which includes ‘Pranahita-Chevella’ scheme,” Mr Harish Rao said.
The minister said since the state is bifurcated and the central government recently extended the term of Brijesh Kumar Tribunal on distribution of Krishna waters among all the riparean states by two more years, the Telangana government is going to petition the Tribunal to allot at least 400 TMC feet of Krishna waters to it and another 50 TMC feet of waters to Hyderabad city as it falls under the Krishna river basin.
“Presently we are not getting more than 70 TMC feet of water for Telangana projects though catchment area is more in Telangana. If we get more waters this time we can allot them to various projects including the Pala-mur Lift Irrigation scheme and Jurala Pakala scheme.” Mr Harish Rao said.
He said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had better vision on irrigation in Telangana than anyone else. “Why should we allot funds to Pranahita-Chevella? it is almost touching Rs 40,000 crore. Even if we allot Rs 4,000 to 5,000 crore every year it will be a pittance if one compares with the cost escalation of 10 per cent every year, so we will allot less funds for the project till the central government declares it as national project on par with Polavaram,” Mr Harish Rao said.
He said the TRS government is going to revive the 1000-year-old tank irrigation in Telangana which were all constructed by the Kakatiya kings as a chain in all the districts. “Till the AP state formation in 1956 all the chain tanks used to feed the ayacut below, but due to neglect of successive governments many of the old tanks become defunct and the canal structure is silted. We will revive the system so that the rain water could well be utilised for irrigation,” he added.
Mr Harish Rao said that the central government and World Bank are ready to finance for the revival.
“By next year at least one chain link tanks in each Assembly segment will be revived,” he said.
Similarly the state government is going to park Rs 1,000 crores for completion of four major lift irrigation projects in Mahbubnagar district by next year Nettempadu, Kalwakurthy, Bheema, Koilasagar so that irrigation can be provided to six and half lakh acres in that district alone.
With regard to controversial Dummugudem-Nagarjuna Sagar Tail pond project against which some funds was also spent, the TRS government is thinking of scrapping the project as it feels Telangana region is not going to be benefited by this.
“We have ordered for re-examining the feasibility and re-design of the project if at all that is going to benefit the region. If not, we will scrap the project. There is no need to lift waters from Dummugudem to Tail pond region at a cost of Rs 17,000 crore and get no benefit,” said the Irrigation minister.
Similarly, Srisailam Left Bank Tunnel boring is still continuing and it needs two more years to complete the tunnel, hence the government is now interested to complete the Dindi vagu project to reap benefits in Munugode constituency of Nalgonda district.
“ I have conducted meetings with forest and national highway authority officials in getting their clearances for the several medium irrigation projects under construction in Adilabad district. Projects are ready but canals are not ready due to crossings in forests and the national highways. Now it will be done in two years time.”
Mr Harish Rao asserted, “We will also provide irrigation to one and half lakh acres under Devadula lift scheme by next year.
Since Pranahita-Chevella scheme implementation will take time, the government decided to complete the Mid-Manair Dam in Karimnagar district so that 26 TMC feet of Godavari water could be impounded.
