Palamuru irrigation boost elusive as PRLIS, NKLI stuck under Congress government

The Congress government has come under scrutiny for sidelining the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) while its flagship Narayanpet-Kodangal Lift Irrigation project has faced multiple delays and controversies. Despite financial allocations and promises to complete both projects, work has stalled, leaving critical irrigation projects in limbo.

Hyderabad: The Congress government has kept the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) on the backburner, while its flagship Narayanpet-Kodangal Lift Irrigation (NKLI) project has failed to take off, raising questions over its commitment to the irrigation sector in the erstwhile Palamuru district.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused the Congress of neglecting PRLIS for the past 18 months despite most of the works being completed during its tenure. BRS MLAs and party leaders pointed out that nearly 85 per cent of the project was finished with Rs. 31,000 crore already spent, leaving the present government to complete only the balance works at comparatively lower cost.

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Since 2023, however, work has stalled, causing silt, rocks and roots to clog the tunnels. Engineers have raised concerns about potential corrosion of steel components, which could affect structural stability. The project was designed to irrigate over 12 lakh acres and provide drinking water to nearly 1,200 villages across six districts.

Although Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy have assured completion of the remaining works, farmers, however, remain sceptical. Ministers from the district have seldom raised the issue.

Instead, the Congress government announced the NKLI project, laying its foundation in February. Even before works could begin, the project ran into controversy, with the BRS alleging irregularities in awarding two packages worth Rs.4,350 crore to Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited and Raghava Constructions.

Design revisions have expanded the planned storage capacity from 0.9 tmcft to 4 tmcft, with irrigation coverage expanded to 1.05 lakh acres in Narayanpet, Kodangal and Makthal constituencies. Despite an allocation of Rs. 610 crore for 2024-25, work on the ground has barely started.

The project has also faced stiff opposition from farmers unwilling to part with their land due to poor compensation. While the Congress promised Rs.14 lakh per acre, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy later raised the offer to Rs.20 lakh per acre. However, farmers are demanding Rs. 40 lakh per acre. This deadlock has stalled the project entirely.