Government plans to acquire 40,000 acres for irrigation projects over next three years

The Telangana government plans to acquire nearly 40,000 acres over three years for irrigation projects at an estimated cost of Rs 6,150 crore. Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to speed up land acquisition and pending works.

Hyderabad: The Congress government is planning to acquire nearly 40,000 acres over three years for various irrigation projects, with an estimated outlay of Rs 6,150 crore. More than Rs 1,000 crore was stated to be at various stages in land-acquisition offices and district accounts, awaiting disbursement.

During a review meeting on irrigation projects here on Tuesday, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the Collectors and Chief Engineers to complete pending works on a war footing, with the government targeting substantial completion within a couple of months. He stressed that funds released for acquisition should reach the oustees rather than remain parked in district or other government accounts.

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He said the government was prepared to provide funds immediately for land acquisition, R&R and forest-related requirements once the necessary procedures were completed. The Collectors were asked to review land-acquisition progress daily and coordinate with revenue and irrigation officials to resolve bottlenecks.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also asked the officials to examine the scheme component-wise, with land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) and forest-related clearances identified as key areas requiring immediate attention. The State government has set a one-year target for completion of the long-pending Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme on a fast-track basis.

The Devadula project is designed to lift about 38 TMCft of Godavari River water and provide irrigation benefits to nearly six lakh acres across districts including Hanamkonda, Warangal, Jangaon, Yadadri Bhongir, Suryapet, Siddipet, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally. The government also decided to maximise pumping through the available infrastructure.

He also wanted the officials to ensure optimal operation of all available pumping facilities on Godavari through the Devadula project and supply the maximum quantity of water to the command areas and reservoirs served by the project.

The Minister also ordered a focused review of the Gouravelli project after a week, covering land acquisition, R&R, peg marking, legal issues and construction and canal works. Officials were asked to examine a proposal to facilitate storage of 5 TMCft in Baswapur Reservoir through limited additional works. He said the government would continue monitoring the projects and hold another comprehensive review within a week to 10 days.