Sundilla Barrage to be Key in Pranahita-Chevella Project
Uttam Kumar Reddy directed irrigation department officials to revalidate earlier surveys and conduct fresh geotechnical and topographical studies to update feasibility of the revised proposal.
Hyderabad: The Sundilla barrage on Godavari river, part of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS), has emerged as a critical component of the Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi project, and also as one with a potential of savings of up to `1,600 crore, and one which could reduce required land acquisition among other benefits.
Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday said a revised plan for linking the Tummidihatti on the Pranahita river to Sundilla on the Godavari —the Tummidihatti-Sundilla link proposal — had emerged as a sound one.
Charing a review meeting on the project at the Secretariat here on Monday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government’s intention was to take up the long-pending Pranahita-Chevella project on the basis of technical soundness, fiscal prudence, and keeping environmental concerns in mind.
As per the original plan, water was to be drawn from the Pranahita river at Tummidihatti barrage and carried to the Sripada Yellampalli barrage through a 71-kilometre canal system. The plan encountered major obstacles when coal seams were detected along the alignment, making tunnelling risky and costly.
“By shifting the alignment toward Sundilla, several geological difficulties can be avoided. The route will shorten canal and tunnel lengths, simplifying construction and reducing the extent of environmental clearances required, and could result in savings between Rs.1,500 crore and Rs.1,600 crore,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
The minister directed irrigation department officials to revalidate earlier surveys and conduct fresh geotechnical and topographical studies to update feasibility of the revised proposal. “The revised detailed project report will be placed before the state cabinet for deliberation, he said.
Officials informed the minister that the revised proposal would mean reducing gravity-canal length from about 30 km to 13 km, and tunnelling requirement from 14 km to 10 km. The number of pump houses is expected to fall from 15 to 10 main, and two auxiliary stations, each of 30 MW capacity.
With respect to Maharashtra’s consent for the Tummidihatti barrage’s height, he said the consultations will be held at an appropriate stage to ensure technical concurrence and balanced use of Godavari waters, he said.
Dr B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi Project
Conceived in 2008-09
Water from Tummidihatti on Pranahtia to be taken to Yellampalli reservoir on the Godavari/
Designed to use 160 tmc ft of Godavari water.
Irrigation potential: 12 lakh acres in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, and Rangareddy districts, provide drinking water to Hyderabad
New proposal
Channel water from Tummidihatti to the Sundilla barrage.
Save Rs.1,500 crore to Rs.1,600 crore.
Canal/tunnel length to fall from 71 km to 34 km.
Make efficient use of existing infrastructure.
