Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR) will inaugurate inaugurate the Mallana Sagar canal, which has been developed as part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Telangana finance minister T Harish Rao, who was the state irrigation minister earlier, took to twitter announcing the inauguration of the canal and said, “Telangana’s mammoth #Mallannasagar is ready to create history and serve the people of Telangana Hon’ble #CMKCR garu has given Telangana another reason to rejoice as he inaugurates the largest reservoir and dedicate it to the nation today.”
The Mallanna Sagar project has been developed to address the needs of the framers in Medak and its neighbouring districts. Built at a cost of Rs 6.805 crores between Thoguta and Kondapak Mandals, it is in a hilly area and has a storage capacity of 50 TMC feet out of which 30 TMC feet will cater to Hyderabad’s drinking water needs. Another 16 TMC feet will be cater to industrial needs.
The project, according to the state government, will provide water to 8.35 lakh acres of new ayacut under KLIS Package-12 to 19, along with stabilising the ayacut under existing irrigation projects such as Singur, Nizam Sagar and Sriram Sagar phase-1, which will propel the total ayacut under the project to 15.71 lakh acres.
As per the Cental Water Commission (CWC) guidelines, 10 TMCft of water has been filled to test the project since last August when it was completed. Moreover, it may be recalled that many of those who lost their lands for the project had approached the Telangana high court, challenging the state’s alleged coercion in acquining lands.
Based on various petitions from oustees (men and women) of the Mallannasagar project, the Telangana High Court last year directed the state government to treat them as separate families and pay compensation to them in full.
The court’s interim orders were issued based on a petition filed by the oustees from the Etigadda Kistapur and Vemulaghat villages in Siddipet district. It also ruled that the men and women should not be evicted from their houses in the Mallannasagar zone without paying them full compensation.
It also made it clear that in case the compensation is not paid to any single men or women, the State government has to list out the reasons for this in writing and hand over the same to the oustees.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Mohammed Baleegh | 
