Shun Kodangal Lift Scheme, Go In For Four Waters Concept: Marri Urges Government
Hyderabad: BJP national council member Marri Shashidhar Reddy on Thursday urged the state government to rethink on the Kodangal lift irrigation scheme, which is intended to irrigate one lakh acres, and is projected to cost around Rs.4,350 crore. Reddy expressed concerns about additional costs, including land acquisition and recurring energy charges, which he claimed could significantly increase the final expenditure.
Shashidhar Reddy said that the government could instead adopt the ‘four waters’ concept espoused by the eminent irrigation expert late T. Hanumanth Rao. This will help achieve similar irrigation results at a fraction of the cost, at Rs.150 crore.
Shashidhar Reddy was addressing a round table discussion on the subject under the aegis of Dr M Channa Reddy Memorial Trust, of which he is the secretary
Reddy highlighted the lasting success of the ‘four waters’ concept at Gotigaripalli village in Kohir Mandal, where it has supported three crop cycles per year for over 20 years. He also pointed to its successful implementation in Rajasthan, where it transformed semi-arid districts into fertile agricultural land.
Public policy expert Dr Donthi Narasimha Reddy, who gave a detailed presentation on the occasion, emphasised how the concept has brought sustainable water security to marginalised communities. He pointed out that Gotigaripalli’s watershed management programme continues to provide significant benefits more than two decades after its implementation.
Dr Narasimha Reddy observed that this model, when combined with technical support from institutions like ISRO and NRSC, as demonstrated in Rajasthan, offers a sustainable and low-cost solution for large-scale irrigation projects in Telangana.
NRSC scientist Dr P.V. Raju explained that ISRO and NRSC provided crucial satellite data to monitor watershed areas and track groundwater levels in regions implementing the four waters concept. He noted that this real-time data entails better planning and management of water resources, leading to sustained irrigation benefits.
Dr Raju also highlighted how this technology played a key role in assessing soil moisture and rainfall patterns, ensuring that the programme’s impact could be accurately measured, particularly in Rajasthan’s semi-arid regions where it transformed water management practices and improved agricultural productivity.
Shashidhar Reddy urged the state irrigation minister and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to visit Gotigaripalli and Rajasthan to witness the benefits of the programme firsthand.
Rajya Sabha MP Dr K. Laxman supported the idea of promoting the concept at the national level, proposing a round table in Delhi to raise awareness among MPs.
Retired SE Deepak Prasad Shrivatsav discussed the transformative impact of the four waters concept on marginalised communities in Rajasthan.
MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and prominent environmentalist Prof. K. Purushotham Reddy also expressed their support for adoption of this cost-effective model in Telangana.
