Work begins on Godavari lift irrigation project

Hyderabad: Roads and Buildings minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Tuesday flagged off work for the first pumphouse near Dummugudem anicut that, once completed, will lift over 100 tmc ft of Godavari water to irrigate six lakh acres of new ayacut spread over Kothagudam and Khammam districts.

This scheme will also stabilise the existing three lakh acres of Nagarjunasagar left canal ayacut in both the districts through Godavari waters when the canal faces water shortage.

The project has been named “Sitarama”, after the Bhadradri shrine of Sitaramaswamy located near Dummugudem anicut.

The advantage of the scheme is that irrigation benefits can be derived at various stages without waiting for completion of entire components of the project that is being taken up at a cost of Rs 8,000 Crore.

Considered as one of the largest irrigation project, minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Tuesday performed bhumi puja to kickstart work on the first of the four pump houses envisaged in the project.

Godavari waters will be lifted from existing Dummugudem anicut to 50 feet at the first level and later to 130 ft.

The government has acquired 100 acres of land for this first pump house by implementing the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.