Kothagudem Collector tells officials to speed up Seetamma Sagar works

Kothagudem: Of the 3,123 acres of land required for Seetamma Sagar Multi-Purpose Project (SSMPP), about 510 acres of land has been acquired so far, District Collector Anudeep Durishetty said on Friday. The Collector was speaking after inspecting the project works at Ammagaripalli in Aswapuram mandal in the district at a review meeting with irrigation, revenue, […]

Kothagudem: Of the 3,123 acres of land required for Seetamma Sagar Multi-Purpose Project (SSMPP), about 510 acres of land has been acquired so far, District Collector Anudeep Durishetty said on Friday.

The Collector was speaking after inspecting the project works at Ammagaripalli in Aswapuram mandal in the district at a review meeting with irrigation, revenue, L&T officials at the project office.

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Durishetty directed the contracting agency and officials to expedite the project works. He expressed dissatisfaction at the completion of only two percent of the works so far and for the works not going according to schedule.

Seetamma Sagar was the most ambitious project undertaken by the State government. Hence the tahsildars, mining and irrigation officials have to address any issues hindering the project works and the bund works should be completed by next monsoon.

The material and staff needed to expedite the work should be made available. The process of approving the gravel, metal and sand required for the project should be completed by January 26, the Collector said.

He told the tahsildars to identify the 322 acres of compensatory afforestation (CA) land required to replace the forest land required for the project and submit proposals by January 10. Revenue and Irrigation officials should conduct a joint survey for the purpose, he noted.

Durishetty told the CE (irrigation) to arrange a coordination meeting with the officials of R&B, panchayat raj, forest, horticulture, excise, NPDCL and Mission Bhagiratha Engineering Departments on January 10 to avoid any delay in the project works.

He explained that the SSMPP was taken up by the government with Rs 3480 crore. It would have 40 km of right and 56 km of left canals. A barrage, which was being constructed with a water storage capacity of 36.5 TMC, would have 65 gates with a height of 15/15 metres.

He said the project water would be utilised for the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project which would provide irrigation water to 6.45 lakh acres in Kothagudem district as well as in Khammam and Mahabubabad districts.

The Collector spoke to land evacuees, of Ammagaripalli and Kummarigudem, who were staging a relay-hunger strike demanding higher compensation for their land. He asked them to cooperate with the government saying that a decision on their demand would be taken after the verdict, since they took the matter to the court.

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