1,250 check dams to be built in Telangana: Harish Rao

Stating that the check dams will be constructed in two phases, he said under phase I, construction of many checkdams had already been taken up on a war-footing under Mission Kakatiya.

Hyderabad: The State government has decided to construct 1,250 check dams across the State at an estimated cost of Rs 4,200 crore, Finance Minister T Harish Rao said on Thursday.

“The idea behind construction of these structures is to increase the area of cultivatable land, increase ground water table and ensure supply of sufficient water to farmers,” the Minister informed the State Assembly here.

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Stating that the check dams will be constructed in two phases, he said under phase I, construction of many checkdams had already been taken up on a war-footing under Mission Kakatiya. NABARD funds were being utilised for construction of these structures.

“Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s dream is to ensure one lakh acre of cultivatable land in each Assembly constituency in the State. This Yasangi, the State is cultivating paddy in 52 lakh acre and it is a record in the country,” he said.

Giving an overview of the irrigation sector in the State, Harish Rao said that in 2014-15 fiscal, the cultivatable land area in the State was only 23.44 lakh acre, which shot up to 90 lakh acre by 2020-21 financial year. “All this was possible only due to the Chief Minister’s vision,” he said.

Before State formation, during the 10 years of Congress rule from 2004-14, the ayacut in the State was 6.64 lakh acre, he said, adding that after Telangana came into existence, new ayacut of 44.32 lakh acres was developed in just six-and-half years, he said. Several projects like Kalwakurthy, Koil Sagar, Bheema, Nettampadu and others that were pending during the Congress rule were completed by the Telangana government, he pointed out.