Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Two LI schemes may get Govt. nod

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad April 29. Files on the Devadula and Kalwakurthy lift irrigation schemes, currently hogging the political limelight, are moving fast at the highest level in the Government.

The two projects are to create irrigation potential for 8 lakh acres together in two different areas of the Telangana region. The Government, it is learnt, has taken a decision to split the projects into two phases each and go in for immediate implementation of the first phase in each case for ensuring immediate benefits. Steps are also being rushed for issuing administrative sanction by the State Government for both. Devadula and Kalwakurthy based on the Godavari and Krishna respectively were the Government's priority even before political parties raised a hue and cry, sources in the Government said here today.

Devadula's first phase consists of a 121-km long pipeline starting from the lift point at Devadula up to Ghanpur tank in Warangal district, feeding Bhim Ganapur, Ramappa, Salivagu, Nagaram and Dharmasagar tanks en route lying in Warangal and Karimnagar districts. This is against the project's total length of 182 km, which also covers parts of Medak and Nalgonda districts. The first phase, costing Rs. 800 crores, against the project's total estimated outlay of Rs. 1,800 crores, will tap the Godavari to the extent of 12 tmcft to irrigate 1.2 lakh acres, compared to the full benefit of 50 tmcft and 5.5 lakh acres.

The sources justified the delay in the project as "quite natural'' citing the rough terrain consisting of forests and hills which were to be covered during the field survey by the Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS), Delhi. WAPCOS was instructed to give the detailed project report by May-end. The sources spoke of the immediate implementation not being an impossibility, stating that the land to be acquired would be minimal as it is not a canal but a pipeline to be laid throughout the 182-km stretch connected by aforesaid tanks serving as balancing reservoirs. While the land acquisiton would cost Rs 15 crores, minimum payments would be made to farmers for the lands acquired pending final award by courts/Lok Adalat.

Similarly, the Kalwakurthy first phase would consist of the length up to the Sungotam balancing reservoir requiring Rs. 250 crores of expenditure for giving immediate benefit to 15,000 acres against the full benefit of 2.5 lakh acres and drinking water to 3.2 lakh people in the villages en route. The full scheme would have three lifts for enabling the Krishna water to climb a total height of 278 metres, all in Mahabubnagar district. The detailed project report is being given final touches as per the revised design and the administrative sanction will be given "anytime after that.''

The sources said the project, though based on the Krishna, is not being posed for any Central clearances as it is being executed out of the State Government's own sources. The tapping point, as per the revised design, would be at Regumanugadda near Yelluru village in Kollapur mandal of Mahabubnagar district.

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