Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111955530600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

YSR to lay stone for biggest lift irrigation scheme

Project to come as a boon for seven Telangana districts

HYDERABAD: The stage is set for laying the foundation stone for Pranahita Chevella Sujala Sravanti, the biggest lift irrigation project in the country, being taken up with an estimated Rs. 38,500 crore.

The massive project, involving a total lift height of 493 metres from Pranahita river to Chevella in the neighbouring Ranga Reddy district, is aimed at diverting 160 tmc ft of water for irrigating 16.4 lakh acres in seven drought-prone Telangana districts. Spanning about 700 km from the source to Chevella, the project involves gravity canals of 512 km while tunnel systems would cover the balance 188 km.

It has 16 lifts with power requirement of 3,375 MW, almost half the requirement of 6,749 MW of all the 24 lift irrigation projects planned in the State.

The power required for lifting the water is expected to incur Rs. 2,294 crore annually and the government has set a 48-month deadline for the completion of works.

Dr. Reddy will lay the stone for the project on Wednesday, coinciding with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s 92nd birth anniversary.

Incentive to farmers

He will also launch the scheme for payment of incentive of Rs. 5,000 each to farmers who repaid their loans promptly and not covered under the national loan waiver package to mark the occasion.

Speaking to reporters, Dr. Reddy allayed the apprehensions over the execution of the project claiming “we are not hesitant about the costs involved as there is no other way to create new ayacut in the Telangana region.”

On doubts raised by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti about how the power requirement would be met, he said works had been launched for enhancing hydro power generation capacity by 1,600 MW. Efforts were under way to ensure a capacity addition of 14,000 MW through thermal projects.