Telangana Government’s plea for irrigation funding for three projects hits snags

The Telangana government’s plea for Central funding of three irrigation projects faces hurdles at the CWC. Mukteshwar, Modikuntavagu and Chanaka-Korata projects, meant to irrigate over 25,000 hectares, are stalled due to funding gaps, land disputes and inter-state objections.

Hyderabad: In a bid to revive stalled irrigation initiatives, the State government has approached the Central Water Commission (CWC) for investment clearance on three key projects – the Mukteshwar (Chinna Kaleshwaram) Lift Irrigation Scheme, Modikuntavagu Project and Chanaka-Korata Barrage. Officials hope this will facilitate Central government support under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) – Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), covering up to 90 per cent of costs. But the request faces hurdles, with experts warning it may not materialise until the next apex committee meeting.

These projects, expected to benefit drought-prone areas in north Telangana districts and irrigate over 25,000 hectares, have been facing funding shortages and unresolved land disputes. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has been mounting pressure on the Congress-led government for tardy progress in irrigation works, citing failure to expedite clearances or allocate sufficient budgets. Key projects such as the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) have not made headway in the last 20 months. The present request for investment clearance, officials fear, may face the same fate as CWC guidelines mandate rigorous scrutiny.

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The Mukteshwar scheme in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district stands at 75 per cent completion but has languished due to funding gaps and land acquisition hurdles. Estimated initially at Rs 545 crore, revised supplements of Rs 571 crore for reservoir enhancements have further added to costs. Works on its tail-end distributaries have seen no progress under the Congress rule. Pending forest clearances could push operationalisation beyond the promised two years.

The same is the case with the Modikuntavagu Project, spanning Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Khammam districts. Proposed to harness 2.14 TMC from a Godavari tributary for 13,591 hectares in tribal areas, its cost has been revised from Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore. Protracted DPR scrutiny since 2021 and objections from Andhra Pradesh at the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) have further delayed the project. Labeled “unapproved” in central notifications until recently, it did not receive priority under the Congress government.

The inter-state Chanaka-Korata Barrage on the Penganga River has become an example of coordination issues. A Telangana-Maharashtra joint venture approved in 2015 at Rs 368 crore (now exceeding Rs 1,500 crore, shared), it has seen over 80 per cent barrage completion but distributary works remain stalled due to land acquisition for 1,900 acres and lack of funds. Floods have repeatedly hampered progress, while the COVID-19 pandemic further impacted momentum, inflating costs to Rs 2,000 crore.

Adilabad farmers, who have waited for a decade for irrigation support from the project, designed to benefit 5,463 hectares, continue to question the barrage’s inability to store floodwater. Unlike the BRS regime’s aggressive push in the irrigation sector, the present government has failed to ensure fulfilment of GRMB compliances. Officials fear further delays in CWC clearances until the next Apex Council meeting, which is likely only next year.