Hyderabad: Declaring that the Devadula lift irrigation project will be constructed by March 2026, irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that it will be inaugurated by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who had laid the foundation-stone for the project when she was the AICC president.
Reddy, along with women and child welfare minister Seethakka and revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy visited the pump house of the project on Friday and held a review meeting with higher officials of the irrigation department over the progress of the works.
Speaking with the media, Uttam Kumar said that once the project is completed, 60 tmcft of water will be made available for 300 days under its ayacut in the Warangal district.
Observing that land acquisition has become an obstruction to the completion of various projects, he said that the state government was going to appoint an IAS officer exclusively to oversee land acquisition.
He said that Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project and Devadula Project would be completed in a time-bound manner.
Pointing out that sand and other debris were getting deposited in the canals and other components of the pending projects, he said that modern technology would be used to clear it. He declared that Rs 1100 crore was being released for de-silting and jungle-cutting works under various projects.
“Not just for the Sitarama project, even for the Sammakka-Sarakka project BRS government has not taken steps for allocation of water, but our government is taking steps to engage with the neighbouring Chhattisgarh government to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) so that water allocation for the project can be done,” he said.
Talking about the state government’s commitment to strengthen the irrigation department, he said that the decision to recruit 700 assistant executive engineers was part of that effort.
He also announced that soon the state government was going to recruit 1800 Lashkars on an outsourcing basis, to monitor the operation of various projects.
