Nellore: Delay in land acquisition process is creating hurdle in completing works of various canals under the Telugu Ganga and Somasila projects, which were proposed to irrigate more than 50,000 acres in SPSR Nellore district, more than a decade ago. It is the forest department which is raising objection to hand over its land for both the projects. This apart, some legal tangles are also delaying the completion of works relating to the canals.
The forest officials have objection in handing over 1,030 hectares of land under the Somasila reservoir in Rajampeta area, Kadapa district for the past one decade. This is forcing the irrigation department to limit the storage to 72 tmc in Somasila dam though the maximum capacity is 78 tmc. In this backdrop, water is being left to flow waste into the Bay of Bengal every year.
At least 60,000 acres additional ayacut can be cultivated if water is stored to the optimum level, besides providing water for the second crop, a senior irrigation official said. Somasila project officials said they had already given 1,016 hectares in lieu of the forest land but that the forest officials have been demanding for Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey now.
They said the forest department had also demanded additional land of 707 hectares as compensation but they are finding it difficult to provide it nearby the forest, as per the rules. One of the reasons for the deadlock is forest officials demanding land with vegetation as compensation though a major extent of land they gave to the project was barren land, they added.
With respect to Telugu Ganga project, the engineers alleged that court cases and land classification issues are coming in the way to acquire 380 acres and provide water for 42,305 acres in Gudur, Venkatagiri, Sullurpeta mandals. They said that completion of canals will also help in recharging of groundwater and also end the crisis of drinking water. District collector R. Muthyala Raju said they were trying to bring the proposed 50,000 acres into the irrigation network very soon.
