Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy has said that the government’s first priority is to provide water to farmers on a war-footing by taking up repairs to the Nagarjuna sagar project (NSP) left canals and tank bunds that were damaged in the recent rains.
On Sunday, the Minister, along with District Collector Tejas Nandlal Pawar, inspected the renovation work of NSP left canal at Kagita Ramachandrapuram in Nadigudem mandal.
Speaking on the occasion, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the State has suffered a loss of Rs 10,300 crore. He said that he is confident that the State would get good help from the Centre as a full report of the damage caused by the rains in the State has been sent by the Central team. The Minister said that the government has sanctioned R. 2.10 crore for the construction of the pit immediately and floodlights have been installed for night work.
The Minister said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, along with Ministers and the entire administration and took measures to prevent flood damage.
Uttam Kumar Reddy took a tractor ride, along with farmers, to inspect the restoration work of the Redlakunta major canal at Arlegudem in Chilukur mandal. A sum of Rs 96.60 lakh has been sanctioned and the officials have been instructed to desilt the pit and supply water to the farmers within a week.
The Minister said that 20,000 acres are being cultivated in the following areas through this canal and if the irrigation is delayed, the crops will dry up.
The RDO instructed the tahsildar to provide machinery required for the repair work of the canal. Revenue officials and Irrigation officials have been asked to coordinate and desilt the dam at the earliest. He also said that compensation would be given to the affected farmers soon.
Later, the Minister, along with the District Collector, inspected the Muktyala branch canal at Karakkayalagudem in Huzurnagar mandal. The minister said the government has sanctioned Rs 34 lakh for the construction of the canal. RDOs Suryanarayana, Srinivasulu, Irrigation SE Ramesh Babu, Tehsildars Sarita, Dhruva Kumar, Nagender, Irrigation DE Raghu, officials, public representatives, staff and others participated in this program.