Hyderabad: A major milestone in the history of erstwhile Khammam district has been achieved as the trial run of the first pump of Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project has been tested successfully on Wednesday night.
Irrigation officials celebrated as the Godavari waters were lifted and delivered into the delivery cistern at the pumphouse constructed in BG Kothur village of Aswapuram mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district.
The project has been constructed with the objective of irrigating a new ayacut of 1.57 lakh acres in Khammam district, 1.62 lakh acres in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, 9,000 acres in Mahabubabad district, besides stabilising the exiting ayacut of 2.48 lakh acres under the Nagarjunasagar left canal, Wyra and Lankasagar projects.
1.5 lakh acres will be irrigated
After learning about the successful trial-run, Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao rushed to the pumphouse and offered prayers to Godavari River and welcomed it as it gushed out of the 25 MW capacity pump.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that his life and political ambition to irrigate the barren lands of the erstwhile Khammam district has been achieved with the project’s execution. He thanked all the officials who have worked to make this project work, and the farmers who have parted with their lands for construction of the project.
He said that by linking the main canal with Wyra project and Lanka Sagar Project, the minor irrigation tanks lying between these projects could be filled. He said that irrigation officials have set a target to irrigate 1.5 lakh acres under its ayacut in the present Kharif season.
He also thanked irrigation advisor Penta Reddy, chief engineer Srinivas Reddy and their entire team for the achievement.
‘KCR’s dream fulfilled’: KTR expresses happiness
BRS working president KT Rama Rao took to X on Thursday, to express his happiness over the irrigation feat.
“This is the moment when yet another dream of BRS chief KCR has been realised. KCR had said long back that Sita Rama Project was like his heart. KCR had breathed life into a project which would go on to rid Khammam permanently of drought. He laid the path to irrigate 10 lakh acres in erstwhile Khammam and Mahabubabad districts. For the farmers of Khammam who have been deceived for decades, every inch of land will be irrigated,” he posted on X.
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