Irrigation minister's promise adds to expectations
Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. (Image: DC)
Adilabad: Farmers and people living in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district are eagerly waiting for the summer, as irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has promised that construction of the long-awaited Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi project will finally start at Thummidihatti in Koutala mandal.
They believe the project will address their water scarcity and support agricultural needs. The gravity-based water flow design is expected to reduce project costs. At a recent public meeting in Peddapalli, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reiterated the government’s commitment to launching the project to benefit Komaram Bheem and Mancherial districts.
The state government has prioritised the Pranahita-Chevella project amid the Medigadda barrage issue and ongoing Kaleshwaram controversy. BJP MLA Palvai Harish Babu has also urged the government to expedite the project.
K. Rajesh, a resident of Koutala, expressed hope, citing the irrigation minister's assurance of construction starting by summer. Irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy had visited the Thummidihatti site on August 26, 2019 when he was the TPCC president. This has raised expectations.
Successive governments have already spent nearly ₹6,000 crore on canal works in Sirpur (T) Assembly Constituency. The foundation stone for the project was laid in 2008 by then-Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, with an initial budget of ₹38,000 crore to irrigate 16 lakh acres of land. Canals were partially dug under the Congress-led government.
According to reports, the Pranahita River has consistent annual inflows of nearly 160 TMC, as confirmed by WAPCOS. The Congress government originally planned a 152-metre-high barrage at Thummidihatti, but it was redesigned by the BRS government, reducing the height to 148 metres to avoid submerging 3,000 acres of land in Maharashtra.
Congress leaders argue that the original plan could have delivered water to the Adilabad and Nizamabad regions at minimal cost by using a 15-metre lift and gravity flow for distribution. ( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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