Telangana: DPR for proposed barrage on Wardha River ready

State government is ready with the detailed project report on the proposed barrage on Wardha River benefiting farmers in the erstwhile Adilabad

Hyderabad: The State government is ready with the detailed project report (DPR) on the proposed barrage on Wardha River benefiting farmers in the erstwhile Adilabad district and it will be submitted to the Central Water Commission for clearance shortly, according to Irrigation Officials.

The DPR has been prepared to take up the project at a cost of Rs.4,874 crore. It will be submitted to the State government also shortly for administrative clearance. Once it is cleared by the CWC and administrative sanction is accorded by the State government, steps will be initiated to take up the barrage on Wardha River near Veerdhandi village in Koutala mandal above the Tumadi Hatti point.

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Steps to be taken up to get the DPR cleared at the CWC level were reviewed at the Chief Engineers conference addressed by Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation and Command Area Development) Rajat Kumar on Thursday. Issues related to safety, rehabilitation and improvement of numerous other projects and check dams also came up for discussion and review at the conference.

Rajat Kumar also directed officials to complete all operation and maintenance (O&M) works on irrigation projects before the onset of the monsoon. He insisted that every gated structure of irrigation projects should be made fully functional by end of June next. No lift irrigation scheme in the State should remain defunct by the time the Khariff operations commence in the State, he said.

The Chief Engineers were warned strictly of disciplinary action if the works taken up under their jurisdiction were not completed before the onset of monsoon. He wanted the Engineer-in-Chief (O&M) to conduct two video conferences every week to monitor the progress of works. Officials of the operation and maintenance wing in the cadre of executive engineer and deputy executive engineer were asked to visit the work sites and take steps to avoid delays.

The territorial ENCs and CEs were also asked to make field visits and conduct a daily video conference at 5 pm with their staff. The special Chief Secretary said efforts must be made to tap MGNREGS funds to take up the repairs on minor distributaries and field channels and other works feasible as per MGNREGS norms. He asked the officials concerned to ensure that the MGNREGS action plans were prepared in advance for the current year.

Large dams identified under the Dam Safety Act shall be monitored as per the provisions of the Act, he said adding that O&M manuals including monitoring protocols should be ready at the earliest. The meeting was attended by all ENCs, CEs, OSD to Chief Minister, Advisor Lift Irrigation, Advisor Minor Irrigation and other officials of I&CAD Department.