Malkapet reservoir works stalled; officials wait for funds, approvals
According to officials, the contractor had stalled the works as bills worth about Rs.11 crore were not cleared by the government. Despite letters from officials, the government has not released the amount, they said
Rajanna-Sircilla: Works on the Malkapet reservoir have come to a standstill.
According to officials, the contractor had stalled the works as bills worth about Rs.11 crore were not cleared by the government. Despite letters from officials, the government has not released the amount, they said.
Though the works were done on fast track mode during the previous BRS government, they had slowed down and finally come to a halt after the change in government.
The Malkapet reservoir project was taken up by the previous government to turn parched lands into green field by supplying Godavari water to upland areas in the district.
The project, in Konaraopet mandal, was part of Package-9 of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. Officials said 80 percent of the work has been completed while 20 percent is pending. Since a major portion of the works was completed, the BRS government had planned to inaugurate the project and had also carried out a trial run of the motors a year ago.
While the trial run of the first pump was carried out on May 23, the second was completed on June 18 last year. However, the previous government could not inaugurate it due to various reasons.
Besides the Stage-II Singasamudram pump house, the left canal works in Konaraopet area and a few other works are pending. Irrigation officials had prepared proposals with Rs.80 crore to acquire 752 acres of land for digging the left canal and sent it to the government. However, they are yet to get approval from the government, Executive Engineer A Amarender Reddy told Telangana Today.
Being constructed under package-9 of Kaleshwaram project, it is aimed at supplying irrigable water to 86,150 acres in the Sircilla and Vemulawada constituencies. Besides generating 60,000 acres of new ayacut, 26,150 acres of existing ayacut will be stabilized. While the cost of package-9 is Rs 1,000 crore, the worth of the 3 tmc capacity Malkapet reservoir is Rs.550 crore.
As part of the project, Godavari water will be shifted to Malkapet reservoir, Singasamurdam tank of Yellareddypet mandal and Upper Manair.
For this purpose, a 40 km canal was developed. While 12.3 km of canal was developed under a tunnel, 22 km is a gravity canal and there is a 6 km pipeline. As part of the project, Godavari water from Mid Manair reservoir will be shifted to Malkapet reservoir, located 12 km away from MMD.
The water will be taken through the under tunnel that passes through Sircilla first bypass road, Chandrampeta, Ragudu, Kolanuru and Malkapet.
To support the water flow, a head regulator is also constructed at Ramappaguttalu, 2.5 km away from MMD. The 3 tmc storage capacity Malkapet reservoir is coming up between seven hillocks in a stretch of five km.
To lift 1,150 cusecs of water from the depth of 130 m, two motors each of 30 MW (40,230 HP) capacity were also fixed in the pump house. Water will be dumped into the reservoir through a surge pool pump house.
Later, Godavari water will be taken to Singasamudram tank and Battalacheruvu of Gambhiraopet mandal through gravity canals. Then the water will be shifted to Upper Manair reservoir through a canal. A 33/11 kv substation is also established to run motors.
