Environmental clearance for Sitarama Sagar to be pursued on priority: Uttam

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has asked officials to expedite environmental clearances for the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project in Khammam district.

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday directed officials to vigorously pursue and fast-track the environmental clearance process for the Sitarama Sagar Lift Irrigation Scheme.

He chaired a review meeting on major irrigation projects in the erstwhile Khammam district at Jalasoudha. Reviewing the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project, the Minister stressed the need to expedite all pending environmental clearances.

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The project had already secured Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) clearance, also known as Techno-Economic Clearance, from the Central Water Commission (CWC), officials informed the Minister.

They also informed the Minister that land acquisition had been largely completed in some project stretches, while certain forest clearances were still in process.

He said that diverting Godavari waters from the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project to the Paleru Balancing Reservoir through the NSP Left Canal system should be accorded top priority.

The Irrigation Minister gave in-principle approval to a proposal made by Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to lift water from Sitarama Lift Package-I to the Bayyaram upland tribal areas in Yellandu Assembly constituency.

Addressing the issue of submergence in Bhadrachalam Division due to Polavaram project backwaters, the Irrigation Minister assured that the matter would be taken up shortly with the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). A dedicated review meeting would be convened to find solutions, he said.

The Minister also announced that he would undertake a comprehensive tour of irrigation projects in the erstwhile Khammam district within a fortnight to review progress on the ground.