Latest news with #Irrigation
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
PC Ghose Commission all set to submit Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme report
HYDERABAD: Former Supreme Court judge PC Ghose, who is heading the Commission of Inquiry on Kaleshwaram, reached Hyderabad on Sunday. He is expected to submit his report any day after Tuesday. The tenure of the commission will expire on July 31. The focus now shifts to BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao as the Commission is likely to 'fix responsibility' on some persons. It may be mentioned here that the A Revanth Reddy government constituted the Commission to look into the alleged irregularities in execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, after the piers of the Medigadda barrage sank on October 28, 2023. The one-man Commission, constituted on March 14, 2024, cross-examined 115 witnesses, including Chandrasekhar Rao, former Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao, former Finance Minister Eatala Rajender, former Irrigation engineer-in-chief C Muralidhar Rao and several IAS officers and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) officials. Pertinently, the Commission has no mandate to examine the criminal aspects of the case.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala government constitutes 7-member panel for preparing ‘State Water Security Plan'
The Kerala government is moving ahead with plans to create a 'State Water Security Plan', a requirement under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Centrally-assisted functional household tap connectivity (FHTC) scheme for rural areas. Given the multi-dimensional nature of water security, the government has constituted a committee with members from the Local Self-Governments, Irrigation, Ground Water, Revenue and Forest departments; and the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), and the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (Jalanidhi). The character of the water security plan will be decided through deliberations, Jeevan Babu, managing director, KWA and mission director, JJM, said. KWA is the main implementation agency of JJM in Kerala. Deliberations will have to be held because of the involvement of multiple stakeholder agencies in surface and ground water resources and the diverse demands on these resources ranging from drinking water to irrigation and power generation. The panel has been formed on a recommendation made by the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM), a committee chaired by the Chief Secretary which was constituted in 2020 to oversee the implementation of JJM. While Kerala is not a water-scarce State, it has been struggling to keep up with other States in the implementation of JJM. The Union Budget 2025-26 announcement extending the scheme till 2028 has brought relief to the State. With implementation at 54.66%, Kerala is at the bottom of the national-level list, indicate Union Jal Shakti Ministry data. Three blocks, 73 panchayats and 95 panchayats in Kerala have been certified as having 'Har Ghar Jal' status. Among the districts, Wayanad (37.90%), Idukki (36.93%) and Kasaragod (32.62%) are lagging behind in the implementation.
Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Encroachments heighten threat of urban flooding
While climate change can be considered the obvious reason behind extreme weather patterns, the scale of damage reported across multiple major cities across Punjab in the aftermath of the recent monsoon rains appears to have its roots in something much more sinister. According to reports received by the Express Tribune, over 829 illegal encroachments have been recorded on rivers, streams, and other natural water passages across the province, obstructing the flow of water. Multan Zone had the highest number of encroachments, 676, while Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions recorded 153 encroachments. These encroachments have intensified the risk of urban flooding in low-lying areas. Under the Irrigation, Drainage and River Act 2023, interfering with natural waterways or undertaking unauthorized construction is a punishable offense. However, enforcement on the ground remains weak. Experts are of the opinion that residential and commercial construction near rivers has significantly reduced floodplains, impeding the natural flow of water. Over 114 people have lost their lives while hundreds of others have been injured due to heavy monsoon rains and floods hitting Punjab over the past one month. Affected districts include Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Mandi Bahauddin, where critical infrastructure has also suffered major damage. Urban planning expert Sani Zahra stated that the primary reason behind flooding in major cities was their outdated and insufficient sewerage system. 'For example, in Lahore, more than 40 per cent of drainage lines are either blocked or inadequate for the growing population while several drains have also been overtaken by illegal construction, causing rainwater to accumulate on the streets and roads,' noted Zahra. Conversely, Dr Zulfiqar Ali, an environmentalist, noted that due to climate change, monsoons had become more intense. 'Rising temperatures increase atmospheric moisture, leading to more frequent cloudbursts and heavy rains. Additionally, more than 7,000 glaciers in the north are rapidly melting, causing flash floods and surges in streams and rivers. Rampant deforestation and unplanned construction in hilly areas have further intensified flooding. Over the last two decades, Punjab has lost 30 per cent of its forest cover, resulting in soil erosion and increased river silt, which narrows the waterways, exacerbating flooding,' explained Dr Ali. Between 2020 and 2025, more than 400 people lost their lives in Punjab due to rain and flood-related incidents, with financial losses estimated to exceed Rs75 billion. The most devastating year was 2022, when 15 districts were affected, 223 deaths were reported, and damages surpassed Rs200 billion. Many believe that 2025 is proving to be yet another disastrous year after 2022, with extreme weather patterns worsened by human negligence. Hence experts advocate the need for both short and long-term measures to address the climate crisis, including the removal of encroachments from water channels, installation of modern drainage systems, reforestation, and climate-resilient disaster management plans. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has initiated work on integrated sewerage and flood drainage systems in 189 cities, with an allocation of Rs500 billion. Syed Zahid Aziz, Head of the Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company, claimed that 13 rainwater storage ponds were being built in Lahore to raise groundwater levels. 'Additionally, separate pipelines for sewerage and rainwater are being laid, with the new systems in Lahore capable of handling up to 200mm of rainfall,' informed Aziz.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
CM Revanth seeks speedy approval for semiconductor projects in Telangana
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday requested Union Minister for IT and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw to expeditiously approve the semiconductor projects in Telangana. He also urged the Union minister to approve the proposed Advanced System in Package Technologies (ASIP) project and Micro LED Display Fab Project Crystal Matrix as Telangana is already equipped with world-class infrastructure and has a conducive environment for innovations, state-of-the-art, world-class research and development centres. The chief minister, accompanied by IT & Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, met Ashwini Vaishnaw at Rail Bhavan in Delhi. During the meeting, the CM brought Telangana's request for the establishment of a high-tech electronics park at Mucherla in Rangareddy district under the EMC 2.0 scheme to the Union minister's notice and urged him to set up a new electronic manufacturing park near the Regional Ring Road (RRR). Meanwhile, appealing to the Railway minister to give permission for new projects to increase railway connectivity in Telangana, the CM said that the Regional Ring Rail project has been proposed parallel to the Regional Ring Road. Since the Railway Board has already given permission for the final location survey, he sought approvals for the `8,000 crore Regional Ring Rail project. The CM briefed the Union minister on the benefits of the Regional Ring Rail, which will increase connectivity between rural and urban areas and reduce traffic congestion at major stations in Hyderabad city. The Regional Ring Rail project will also reduce rural poverty and improve employment opportunities in urban areas, he added.
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
ED likely to ask ACB to share info on Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme irregularities
HYDERABAD: Even as the ACB sleuths conducted searches at the residences of retired Irrigation engineer-in-chief C Muralidhar Rao and his relatives for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly focused its attention on corrupt engineers involved in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. The sources said the ED is likely to seek details from the ACB on the Kaleshwaram irregularities, including allegations of diverting government funds as investments into personal companies and organising destination weddings abroad. The ED is also focusing on the allegations that ENC Muralidhar Rao reportedly parked the corrupt money in his son Abhishek Rao's companies. The ED is also likely to probe the destination marriage of Irrigation executive engineer N Sridhar's son conducted in Thailand. Sridhar was recently trapped by the ACB. The ED will not only investigate the corruption by irrigation engineers but also their financial transactions, according to sources. The ED, according to sources, is planning to seek detailed information from the ACB on corruption cases involving C Muralidhar, N Sridhar and others. Meanwhile, ACB officials said that they conducted searches at the residence of Muralidhar in Hyderabad for the second day. They also conducted searches at residences of Muralidhar's relatives in Warangal and Karimnagar.
