Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday directed irrigation officials to award the works of pumping management of irrigation projects to the public sector company, TS Generation Corporation (Genco), instead of private contractors.
Issuing the direction while reviewing an impending drought-like situation due to rainfall deficit at the beginning of the kharif season, he directed officials to take steps to release water from Bayyannavagu to Paleru, given there was no possibility of supplying water from Nagarjunasagar to Paleru reservoir.
“Currently, there is no water flow from the upper Godavari. Water continues to flow to Medigadda reservoir through Pranahita. Motors should run round the clock to lift 1 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water from Medigadda to Annaram and Sundilla every day,” said the Chief Minister.
Rao said: “The same amount of water should be moved from the Sundialla to mid Manair. From there, half of the water will be diverted to lower Manair and half will be supplied to SRSP through flood canal. Measures will be taken to ensure that irrigation water is supplied from Kaleshwaram project to Sitaram thanda, the last ayacut in Suryapet, via Tungaturthi.”
Chandrashekar Rao asked the irrigation and energy wings to coordinate with each other to estimate the requirement of electricity to lift water. He exhorted farmers to grow crops by following the instructions and suggestions of the agriculture and irrigation wing officials, while calling for judicious use of water in difficult times.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the government will defy all odds to take decisions with the main objective of safeguarding farmers’ interests.
