Three crucial irrigation projects for Telangana get Central nod

All the three projects were cleared during the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting chaired by Jal Shakti Ministry Secretary Pankaj Kumar in New Delhi.

Hyderabad: In a major development, the union Jal Shakti Ministry on Tuesday approved three crucial, much-awaited irrigation projects in Telangana. These were the Mukteshwar (Chinna Kaleshwaram) Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS) in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Chanaka-Korata Barrage in Adilabad district and Choutpally Hanumanth Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme in Nizamabad district.

All the three projects were cleared during the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting chaired by Jal Shakti Ministry Secretary Pankaj Kumar in New Delhi on Tuesday.

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According to Irrigation officials, in July last year, the Central Government had issued a gazette notification stating that all three projects taken up by the Telangana government had no formal approval. Responding immediately, the State government submitted a detailed project report to the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) in September last year. Accordingly, all the directorates concerned in the CWC examined the proposals and cleared them.

Later, the GRMB discussed the proposal in detail during the 13th board meeting held in April this year and it forwarded its recommendation to the CWC. After reviewing the objections raised by Andhra Pradesh, the commission made its recommendations to the TAC for grant of techno economic clearance.

During the TAC meeting held on Tuesday, Telangana officials clarified on various issues of concern raised by the committee. Satisfied by the same, committee chairman Pankaj Kumar gave his nod stating that the minutes of the meeting would be released shortly.