Devadula pumps will run round-the-clock, says Uttam

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said all nine pumping units of the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme will operate round the clock to maximise water lifting from the Godavari. He also defended the project and criticised the BRS over the Kaleshwaram issue

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday said that all nine pumping units of the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme would be operated round the clock from Tuesday night to maximise water lifting from the River Godavari.

Responding to criticism by BRS Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao during an informal interaction with media persons, the Minister said the government was focused on ensuring water security and protecting farmers, and not on engaging in political rhetoric.

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The Minister said engineers had been directed to operate the pumping system at maximum capacity to ensure that all reservoirs under the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme were filled as far as possible to tackle the emerging water scarcity caused by deficient rainfall. He said the government’s immediate priority was to secure water supplies for people rather than indulge in political exchanges.

“Every operational decision is being guided by technical requirements and the need to safeguard water availability during the current monsoon uncertainty. Our responsibility is to protect farmers and ensure drinking water security,” the Minister said.

He alleged that Harish Rao was attempting to divert public attention from the failures of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. “Instead of spreading misinformation about Devadula, Harish Rao should answer why the original foundation design at Medigadda was changed during the BRS regime and who authorised those decisions,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme, the Minister said the project was being implemented on a mission mode. He said pending land acquisition, statutory clearances and construction works were being expedited so that the project could be be completed by December 2027.