Khammam: Bhakta Ramadas Lift Irrigation Project is facing teething problems. The project has commenced on ‘trial and error’ basis since inception and ten-year-old motors erected to lift water for the project from the Palair Reservoir are not able to pump water due to technical snags.
About 59,800 acres in Tirumalayapalem, Kusumanchi, Nelakondapalli and Mudigonda mandals are supposed to get irrigated under the project. Minister for roads and buildings Tummala Nageswara Rao decided to give water another ten villages under Tirumalayapalem mandal by lifting Palair water to them. All these villages came under Sriram Sagar Project and pipes were already laid there. It is planned to turn the water from DBM – 60 (distributor main canal). The government planned to extend irrigation water to all the villages of Tirumalayapalem mandal. Officials said that this might require irrigating 16,000 acre more ayacut than the earlier designed to Bhakta Ramadas Project. There is less possibility for these villages to get water from Sriram Sagar Flood Flow Canal though they came under the ayacut.
Regarding the lift scheme concerned, engineers brought motors from Dummugudem – Indirasagar project that was bought eleven years back and erected at pump houses. Shaft starter of one of the motors was burnt while the engineers were readying the water lifting. Even panel board was also burnt and flames spread at that time. The 132 MW sub-station was also burnt. Irrigation department officials brought the flames under control and were trying to erect new panels and shaft starters to it.
But, the motors are not giving the expected results because they remained idle all these years. Engineers had their doubts on the efficiency of pipelines laid for 20 kilometre distance in the project, which were also brought from Indirasagar project. As per schedule, the water to the pipelines should start from December 16. An official said, “Designs of the project are being changed since beginning. Bringing the material of Indirasagar has become a problem.”
