Hyderabad: The Telangana government is set to officially launch the ‘Indira Souragiri Jalavikasam’ scheme on May 18 in Mannanur, Nagarkurnool district. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will inaugurate the program.
Deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka conducted a review meeting with officials at the Secretariat to discuss the scheme’s implementation.
The scheme has been allocated a budget of Rs 12,600 crore and aims to bring lands assigned to tribal communities under the Recognition of Forest Rights (ROFR) Act into full agricultural use.
Irrigation facilities to 210,000 tribal farmers
It is designed to provide irrigation facilities to 210,000 tribal farmers over the next five years, covering 600,000 acres of land. According to officials, this is the largest fund allocation by any Indian state for converting podu (shifting cultivation) lands into irrigated farmland.
Under the scheme, selected villages will undergo geological surveys to identify water resources, followed by the drilling of borewells and the installation of solar-powered pump sets.
Additional activities include plantation development and the establishment of drip irrigation systems. The scheme also promotes the cultivation of crops such as avocado, bamboo, pomegranate, dragon fruit, and fig.
Awareness programs
Awareness programs will be conducted to educate tribal farmers about natural and sustainable farming practices.
The implementation of the scheme involves coordination among various departments, including the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), the electricity department, and the horticulture department.
Senior officials present at the review meeting included Sandeep Kumar Sultania, principal secretary of the energy department; Raghunandan Rao, secretary of agriculture; Sharath, secretary of tribal welfare; and Krishna Bhaskar, Special Secretary to the deputy chief minister.
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