Rajahmundry: The execution of the Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme will be completed by March 25 with the installation of all 24 pumps that will take water from the Godavari river to supply to the Krishna delta.
The main objective of the scheme is to pump nearly 8,500 cusecs of Godavari water to the Krishna delta to help farmers cultivate their crops. The Irrigation Department authorities will carry out a trial run before handing over the project to the state government.
Protective measures against floods are currently being put in place on the side of the river, which will be completed in 10 days. Once all 24 pumps become operational, they will lift water from the river and pump about 8,500 cusecs of water into the Right Main Canal (RMC) to carry to the Krishna delta.
But the irony of it all is that the scheme is going to be of no use to farmers in the Krishna delta now during the rabi season as work on the Polavaram RMC, which carries water is still unfinished and the Godavari’s water level is not enough to allow the pumping of water.
The Hyderabad-based company, Mega Engineering and Infrastructures Limited, which took up the lift irrigation scheme at Pattisam village of Polavaram mandal in West Godavari district at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore, has completed it on deadline. The Chief Minister set the foundation stone for it exactly a year ago on March 29, 2015.
Pattiseema project chief engineer V.S. Ramesh Babu said, “Though we have the time to complete the execution of the project until March 28, 2016, we are going to complete it in a few days before the deadline.”
The Irrigation department authorities, overseeing the execution of the RMC, maintain that the company’s officials are yet to take up 100 structures and complete earth work over 82 lakh cubic metres, which may be completed by the end of June.
Irrigation department officials looking after the Godavari side said that the water level in the river was very low and would not be able to supply 8,000 cusecs of water to the eastern, western and central delta areas to benefit farmers. They said that they were getting water from Seeleru and other sources into the river.
Irrigation superintending engineer S. Sugunakar Rao said, “The agreement says that the Pattiseema scheme can pump out water from the Godavari river only when it witnesses floods. As the water in the river is inadequate at present, there is no question of lifting the Godavari water. As the river witnesses floods generally between July and November, river water can be pumped through the scheme during that period alone.”
