Uttam for Fast-tracking Pranahita-Chevella Project DPR
Beyond the 71-km point, located near Mylaram in Mancherial district, officials discussed two options for taking water further downstream.
Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday directed officials to fast-track preparation of the revised detailed project report (DPR) for the Pranahita-Chevella project, which will have its off-take barrage at Tummidihatti on the Pranahita river. He said the DPR, with hydraulic, environmental, and cost parameters, as well as updated satellite and terrain surveys, should be ready by the end of this month.
The minister, who chaired a review meeting on irrigation projects at the Secretariat, was also briefed in detail by officials on the two options to take water from Tummidihatti to Sripada Yellampalli reservoir on Godavari river.
The officials said the canal network built previously for the then Pranahita-Chevella project and extending nearly 71 kilometres was in a usable condition, with work on two major aqueducts 70 per cent complete.
Beyond the 71-km point, located near Mylaram in Mancherial district, officials discussed two options for taking water further downstream. As per the original scheme, water can be conveyed from Mylaram to the Yellampalli reservoir, a stretch of about 50 km that requires a single lift.
The alternative is to carry water from the same point directly to the Sundilla barrage, covering about 35 km, which can be achieved entirely through gravity and does not require lift irrigation. Once the water reaches Sundilla, the water would be pumped to the Annaram barrage and then to the Yellampalli reservoir using the pumping stations built as part of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS).
Uttam Kumar Reddy welcomed the study of both options and said that gravity-based alignment up to Sundilla will enhance both technical and financial feasibility. “We must prepare both options so that a firm decision can be taken before the end of this month,” he said.
He also told officials to explore the feasibility of setting up solar power plants on irrigation department lands, stating that the power generated should be used to operate irrigation schemes and pumping stations. “If we generate power within the department and use it for our own lift schemes, we can save enormous expenditure every year,” he said.