PNS|New Delhi
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy met Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman Atul Jain on Wednesday and requested him to speed up water allocations for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and the Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage.
During the meeting in New Delhi, Uttam sought an allocation of 90 TMCs for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project, with immediate sanction of 45 TMCs.
The flagship scheme launched in 2015 aims to irrigate about 12.3 lakh acres in the drought-prone districts of Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Vikarabad, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda. The project proposes to pump two TMCs per day from the Krishna River during the 60-day flood season to tackle water scarcity and declining groundwater levels.
He also requested the CWC to approve the allocation of 44 TMCs for the Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage in Mulugu district, which is crucial to stabilise irrigation under the J. Chokka Rao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme and the Sriram Sagar Project. The barrage, with 6.94 TMC capacity, will also meet the drinking water needs of many villages.
He stressed that Telangana had completed documentation and urged early approvals so that farmers dependent on these projects do not face drought again.
Raising inter-state concerns, he flagged the illegal diversion of Krishna River water by Andhra Pradesh and asked the CWC to install telemetry instruments to monitor flows. He pointed out that Telangana had already released its share of funds for the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to take up this work.
He also expressed concern over possible backwater impacts from the Polavaram Project on Telangana’s border villages. He urged the CWC to reassess the threat and recommend safeguards to avoid flooding and displacement.
Uttam drew attention to the recent National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), which flagged serious design and structural issues not only at Medigadda but also at Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
He requested the CWC to join hands with the Telangana Government for a comprehensive technical review.
