Restart of Pranahita-Chevella Works Brings Cheer in Farmers
Due to lack of irrigation facility, farmers depended on rainfed agriculture and were using submersible pump sets at huge costs.
Nizamabad: The resumption of the BR Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Lift Irrigation works after a decade has brought cheers among the farming community in Yellareddy assembly constituency.
Due to lack of irrigation facility, farmers depended on rainfed agriculture and were using submersible pump sets at huge costs. The deep underground water table had led to the declaration of a few localities as “dark areas” in Kamareddy district.
In this context, a governmental sanction of Rs.23 crore for resume of the Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation works in Kamareddy district has helped. Some 14,500 acres would be irrigated in the district. During the terms of the BRS government, the BR Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation scheme was renamed as the Kaleshwaram works and the proposed re-design halted the progress of the works.
Yellareddy MLA Madanmohan Rao reviewed the Pranahita-Chevella LI works immediately after his election. He raised the issue of delay to the works twice in the assembly and met irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. Rao pleaded for release of funds to resume the works.
Based on a memorandum he submitted on July 1, 2024 to the government, Uttam Kumar released a sum of `23 crore.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the Yellareddy Congress MLA said the resumption of the Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation works would irrigate around one lakh acres in Yellareddy assembly constituency. Some 3,000 acres of land would have to be acquired for further works, he said.
The Kondem cheruvu reservoir works with a targeted capacity of 11.5tmc would make the lands in the constituency green, he said.
Meanwhile, Madanmohan Rao along with irrigation officials and farmers visited Bhoompally village and inspected the Pranahita-Chevella LI works. The officials explained to him that the Katewadi, Dharmaraopet and Mothe reservoir works would help in the irrigation of an additional one lakh acres in Yellareddy assembly constituency.
Farmers thanked the MLA for his initiatives leading to the restart of the Pranahita-Chevella works.
In Sadashivanagar mandal, as many as 24,590 acres would be irrigated under this project while Gandhari would benefit by 13,546 acres, Ramareddy 8,664 acres, Tadwai 20,220 acres, Rajampet 2,593 acres, Lingampet 22,934 acres, Yellareddy 3,200 acres and Nagireddypet mandal 3,100 acres.