Uttam Sets Deadline for Irrigation Works Before Monsoon

Nalgonda: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday directed irrigation officials to utilise the February–June summer window to expedite ongoing works and ensure completion before the monsoon.

Reviewing irrigation projects in Nalgonda district at Mellacheruvu, he called for 24-hour operations at key sites while maintaining quality standards. He said land acquisition, crucial for project execution, would be taken up on a war footing and assured that there would be no funding constraints in paying compensation to affected farmers.

The minister said he would review the progress of irrigation schemes in the combined Nalgonda district every 10 days, involving district collectors, and asked officials to report issues directly to him to avoid delays.

He noted that monsoon-related backwater effects from the Krishna river at Pulichintala could hamper construction and stressed the need to accelerate works during the dry season.

Referring to irrigation under the Congress government, he said irrigated area, water utilisation, paddy cultivation and procurement had recorded significant growth over the past two years. He attributed the progress to adequate inflows into the Nagarjunasagar Dam.

The minister directed officials to ensure irrigation to every acre under the Nagarjunasagar Left Canal, with priority to tail-end ayacut, and advocated implementation of the ‘Warabandi’ system for rotational water supply.

He also instructed irrigation officials to coordinate with TRANSCO for timely completion and commissioning of power substations linked to lift irrigation schemes.

The review covered works on the Mutyala Branch Canal Lift Irrigation Scheme (53,000 acres), Jawahar Janpahad Lift Scheme (10,000 acres), Bettethanda Lift Scheme (2,100 acres), Nakkagudem Lift Scheme (3,400 acres), Rajeev Gandhi Lift Scheme (14,100 acres), Redla Kunta Lift Scheme (4,460 acres) and Rajiv Shanthi Nagar Lift Scheme (5,000 acres).