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Telangana: Sammakka Sagar project set to move ahead
No headway could be made for quite some time in the efforts made by Telangana for obtaining CWC clearance for Sammakka Sagar project because of the submergence fears voiced by Chhattisgarh
Hyderabad: Decks seem to have been cleared for key approvals pending for Sammakka Sagar project. An outcome of re-engineering exercise taken up by the Chief Minister, K Chandrashakhar Rao on irrigation projects enhancing their water yields, the barrage built on Godavari is intended to create the much needed pondage facility for the Devadula Lift irrigation scheme. No headway could be made for quite some time in the efforts made by the State for obtaining CWC clearance for the project because of the submergence fears voiced by Chhattisgarh.
Addressing its concerns, the irrigation authorities of the state finally came out with a solution to the riparian issues coming in the way of its approvals. A joint survey of the areas facing submergence risk was taken up by the engineering officials of both the states two days ago for facilitating a way out. Some 50 acres of land in the vicinity of Kothuru village on Chhattisgarh side will be coming under submergence with the gross storage maintained in the barrage at the 83 metre full reservoir level (FRL).
As part of the joint inspection, the official teams of the two states visited Kothuru village of Chhattisgarh and took stock of conditions. It was ascertained during the inspection that no patta land would be coming under submergence at 83 meter level. Still state officials have come forward to acquire the land being affected by complying the due formalities.
They also gave an undertaking that until the affected land of 50 acres was acquired, the gross storage in the project would be maintained at 80 metres only as against the FRL of 83 metres to avoid submergence related issues. In fact the state would be able to draw water from Devadula intake at Gangaram village by maintaining a storage of even 73 metres.
Members of the Chhattisgarh were fully convinced with the options put before them and had agreed to provide the NOC. “Once we obtain the NOC from Chhattisgarh, the detailed project report of the Sammakka Sagar will be sent to the GRMB as per the approved procedural flow chart”, said a key official of the state team.
“Thereafter it would be put up before the technical advisory committee (TAC) for examination and scrutiny of the technical aspects, an exercise that is mandatory before it is taken up for consideration by the Ministry Jal Shakti” he added. The Sammakka sagar project came up with 59 spillway gates near Tupakulagudem village of Mulugu district.
The project was proposed initially at Kantalapalli by the previous congress regime in the undivided state. But in view of the huge displacement to be caused by it affecting 12 tribal villages and 11000 acres of land owned by tribal farmers, it was shifter 20 km upstream to Tupakulagudem. Though storage capacity was cut down from 16 tmc to 7 tmc, it was considered to be sufficient to created the desired pondage for the Devaula lift irrigation scheme designed to supply water to a contemplated ayacut of 6 lakh acres.
TS provides undertaking to avoid submergence
–50 acres of land to be affected in Chhattisgarh to be acquired –No patta land to be affected by the project –Storage to be maintained at 80 metres as against FRL of 83 metres –NOC to help push the project for Jal Shakti approvals