Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao today laid foundation stone for the much-awaited Gattu Lift irrigation scheme at Penchikalapadu area in Jogulamba Gadwal district. With this, the parched lands of Gadwal and Gattu will be turning green as Krishna River flows through the area, which was neglected for decades by previous regimes.
The foundation is a step ahead to bring back the past glory of more crops and significant increase in farm production. The government has offered Rs 554 cr administrative sanction for the project which will bring under irrigation 33,000 acres in Gattu and Dharur mandals on completion.
KCR earlier inspected Tummilla lift works nearby along with a team of officials. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to change the place of approach canal from Tunga Bhadra for ample use of waters on completion of the project.
‘It is expected that 87,500 acres would get irrigated water from RDS but, during the last 10 years it is not happening. The entire ayacut will get water through Tummilla irrigation on its completion ‘said the chief minister. CM also said that ‘1,20,000 acres between the Krishna and Tungabhadra river ayacut area will get irrigated water when once the Tummilla and Gattu irrigation schemes are completed. CM also said that through Jurala 1,04,000 acres, through Nettempadu 2,50,000 acres, through Bheema 2,50,000 acres and through Koil sagar 50,000 acres, through RDS 87,500 acres will be irrigated through these lift irrigation schemes’. It is also proposed to provide drinking water through these projects. CM has directed the officials that for utilizing the water in a proper manner along with the existing reservoirs if additional reservoirs are required on need base proposals need to be conceived and required pump houses and canals construction has to be completed.
Tummilla lift irrigation scheme details: Project cost is Rs 783 crore. Irrigation waters will flow along 87,500 acres. Water will be lifted from this season onwards. Through RDS in Gadwal and Alampur constituencies covering 75 villages, 87,500 acres need to be provided water and 15.9 TMCs water allocation is made available. During the last 10 years, only 31,500 acres was getting water. The remaining 56,000 acres dried up due to non-availability of water. Only 5 tmc water was made use of and remaining 11 tmcs unavailable.
To fill the gap and provide water for 87,500 acres of land with Rs 783 crore investment, Tummilla lift irrigation scheme has been taken up. From Sunkesula balancing reservoir, which stores water from Tungabhadra will be lifted at Tummilla village and will be flown to RDS canal. With this, 56,000 acres ayacut will be brought under irrigation. In the second phase, Mallamma Kunta, Julakal, Vallur reservoirs will be constructed. One TMC of water will be kept as reserve. In this season alone, water from Sunkesula is proposed to be pumped. He also inspected the intake point, the approach canal and the pump house at Tungabhadra.
Irrigation Minister T.Harish Rao, Panchayat Raj Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Planning Commission vice chairman S.Niranjan Reddy, TRS Parliamentary party leader K.Kesava Rao, IDC Chairman Shanker Reddy, Irrigation department ENC Muralidhar, SE Khagender, GENCO Director, SPCDCL Director Srinivas Reddy, CMO Secretary Smita Sabharwal, Clooector Ronal Ross were among others, who accompanied CM. (NSS)
