Hyderabad: The Telangana government is implementing measures to strengthen the Nagarjuna Sagar dam while expanding its ayacut, said state irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy. He instructed officials to prioritise the repair works of the Nagarjuna Sagar Project and its canal network and urged the Nalgonda District Collector to expedite land acquisition for various irrigation projects in the district.
Stressing the importance of timely completion, Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that land acquisition in Nalgonda must not hinder project progress and should be treated as a top priority. His comments were made during a review meeting on the Nagarjuna Sagar project held at Jala Soudha on Tuesday. The irrigation minister also highlighted that there are approximately 334 lift irrigation schemes, either fully operational or partially functional, with a combined ayacut of 469,138 acres.
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He directed officials in Nalgonda to prioritise the restoration of all these projects to their full capacity, with a special focus on small lift irrigation schemes in terms of fund allocation and implementation, said a press release from his office. The Telangana irrigation minister emphasised that while major irrigation schemes require significant capital investment and recurring costs, smaller schemes demand comparatively lower funds and maintenance costs while offering a better cost-benefit ratio.
The minister also directed officials in Nalgonda to expedite the works on the Nellikal Lift Irrigation Scheme, which sources water from the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, said the release. The scheme, estimated at Rs 664.80 crore, aims to provide irrigation to approximately 24,624 acres. Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed officials to divide the project into two phases and ensure the completion of Phase-I to irrigate 7,600 acres by the upcoming Kharif season.
“It was also decided to proceed with the construction of a link canal between the High Level Canal and the Low Level Canal, passing through tanks such as Medawarm, Pothunur, Sangaram, Peddavoora, and Thungathurthy in Nalgonda district. The project, spanning 0–15,000 km and estimated to cost Rs 62.26 crore, has acquired 43.31 acres of the required 65.02 acres of land. The minister directed officials to issue tenders and ensure the timely completion of the project,” added the release.
