Latest news with #N.UttamKumarReddy
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Uttam reviews State-wide water availability, wants optimal use for Kharif
HYDERABAD Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday reviewed the availability of water across all major reservoirs in the State and instructed the irrigation authorities to prepare a scientific and practical plan for optimal utilisation of water during the ongoing Kharif season (vana kalam). The plan must take into account current reservoir levels, expected monsoon inflows and the total ayacut that could be served effectively, he said and noted that the Irrigation and Agriculture Departments had worked in tandem during the previous Kharif and Yasangi seasons, leading to a record production of 281 lakh tonnes of paddy, and made the State the largest paddy-producer in the country. Reviewing the water resources in both the Krishna and Godavari Basins, he assessed the readiness of the department to meet the irrigation needs of farmers. He told the officials to maintain the same level of coordination with District Collectors and field staff as in last year to ensure optimal water use for the present crop season. The Minister stressed for a clear and coordinated water release strategy to be in place based on real-time data, crop patterns and the geography of ayacut. 'Our primary objective is to ensure that no farmer suffers due to lack of water. The entire department must work proactively with foresight and accountability', Mr. Uttam Reddy said. Reviewing the monsoon preparedness, the Minister told the officials to take precautions to be taken before and during the periods of heavy rainfall. He directed the officials to closely monitor dams, reservoirs, canals and allied structures and take preventive measures to avoid breaches, flooding or infrastructure damage. The Minister instructed the department to stay in regular contact with the Disaster Management Department and ensure strong inter-agency coordination for flood control. 'Public safety and the structural integrity of all irrigation assets is non-negotiable. Officials must remain alert and responsive at all times', he added. Remove encroachments The meeting addressed long-pending land encroachment issues of properties belonging to the Irrigation Department. The Minister directed the officials to identify and evict illegal occupants from irrigation lands and facilities across Telangana, including the premises of Water and Land Management Training and Research Institute (WALAMTARI), and Engineering Research Laboratory (ERL). He announced that a statewide drive would be launched soon to reclaim and secure all irrigation department properties.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Plans afoot to resume SLBC tunnel work soon as Irrigation Dept. ropes in experts from Army
HYDERABAD The Irrigation Department is planning to resume work at the earliest on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel, which was halted on February 22 following collapse of the tunnel roof, about 14 km inside from the mouth, near Domalapenta, in Nagarkurnool district, burying 8 workers alive. Another 10 km tunnel is to be excavated to meet the work done from the other side. This was decided at a meeting held here on Saturday by Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy for an in-depth review of the pending work. The 43.931 km tunnel work was taken up from two sides – from Srisailam reservoir side near Domalapenta, and from Dindi balancing reservoir on the other side. The work was stopped in 2023 following a problem in the tunnel boring machine (TBM) from Dindi reservoir side. It was stopped in the Domalapenta side much earlier, again due to some problems in the TBM. It was resumed on February 22 after replacing some parts of the TBM in the Domalapent end, but within four days, the roof collapse incident took place. Only two of the 8 bodies were recovered before the rescue operation was abandoned in April-end, following the advice of the experts over the danger in taking up debris removal in the last 50 meters of the tunnel excavated from Domalapenta side. The Minister stated that drilling and blasting (excavation) was to be taken up in an estimated 10 km length for completing the tunnel. Terming SLBC lifeline for Southern parts of Telangana, he said its completion must be treated as a top priority and executed with urgency. He explained that the SLBC tunnel would be taken up/resumed using the latest electromagnetic survey technology in collaboration with the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI). To ensure precise planning and seamless execution, he instructed the officials to expedite the (aerial) LiDAR survey. Earlier in the day, he had a meeting with a team of NGRI scientists to finalise the technical modalities of the survey. He reiterated that cost would not be a constraint, but highest quality and speed must be maintained at every level. The meeting also marked the first formal interaction with Col. Parikshit Mehra, an acclaimed tunnel engineering expert who recently joined the Irrigation Department on deputation. The Minister expressed confidence that Col. Mehra's expertise would help resolve long-pending technical challenges and fast-track completion of the SLBC and other key tunnel projects. He stated that Gen. Harpal Singh, former Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army, too would be appointed as an honorary Advisor in the Irrigation Department soon to strengthen the department's technical capacity and tunnel execution capabilities. The Minister also reviewed the progress of de-siltation and de-sedimentation works across the Krishna and Godavari basins, which he said were essential to enhance/restore the storage capacity and improve water management. He pointed out that water storage capacity of several irrigation projects had come down drastically due to sedimentation and silt accumulation.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Godavari water released from SRLIP's first pump house
To prevent withering of standing crops in the ayacut of the Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) zone II in the erstwhile Khammam district, Godavari water has been released from the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP)'s first pump house at BG Kothuru village in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Saturday. According to official sources, the decision has been taken to release water from the SRLIP's first pump house following representations made by several farmers' organisations to save the standing crops in the ayacut under the NSP left canal system, citing early sowing of crops in the current kharif season. The associations representing the NSP ayacutdars sought immediate release of Godavari water to protect the standing crops as Krishna water from the Nagarjunasagar dam is yet to reach the NSP zone II. Sources added that Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao apprised Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy of the situation following which the latter issued direction to the officials to release water from the SRLIP's first pumphouse. The trial run of the SRLIP first pump house was conducted successfully in June last year. The State government has laid special focus on the SRLIP to complete the project on a fast-track mode.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Fast-track land acquisition and R&R for irrigation projects: Uttam tells officials
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to fast-track land acquisition and Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) for all pending and ongoing irrigation projects in Telangana, urging them to cut through delays and move decisively. At a review meeting held on Saturday at the Secretariat, the Minister emphasised the need for district-level coordination, asking officials to coordinate with District Collectors to urgently address legal, administrative, and logistical issues holding up progress. 'We can't afford to lose more time,' he told officials, pressing for smoother execution at every level. Mr. Reddy assessed project statuses across districts, identifying key stumbling blocks. He stressed that irrigation isn't just a structural need, it's essential to Telangana's farm economy and long-term food security. 'These projects must be treated as administrative priorities,' he said. To fix the chronic land acquisition delays, he called for proactive engagement with affected landowners and communities. Compensation, rehabilitation, and resettlement, he insisted, must be handled transparently and sensitively. 'If we delay, we risk public backlash and legal trouble that could stall everything,' he warned. 'No lapses, administrative or procedural, should slow this down. Delays only raise costs and spark discontent,' he said. Two projects received particular attention: Palamuru-Rangareddy and Sitaramasagar, both critical to irrigating large, drought-hit regions. With monsoon inflows rising across reservoirs, the Minister also reviewed operational readiness of irrigation structures, instructing officials to stay alert, monitor levels closely, and activate emergency protocols as needed. He emphasised the critical role of tunnel works in several key projects, especially in regions where the terrain makes open canals impractical. To boost the department's technical capabilities, the Telangana Irrigation Department is bringing in two high-profile Army officers with deep experience in tunnel construction. General Harpal Singh, the former Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army, will come on board as an honorary advisor. Meanwhile, Colonel Parikshit Mehra, a globally recognised expert in tunnel engineering, will be joining the department full-time. Both officers played key roles in the construction of the Rohtang and Zojila tunnels, two of India's most challenging infrastructure undertakings.
India Gazette
09-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"BRS gave away our water to Andhra, we are bringing it back": Telangana Minister Uttam Reddy on Krishna River rights
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 9 (ANI): Telangana Irrigation, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the Congress government in Telangana would persist with its legal, technical, and administrative battle to reclaim the state's rightful share of Krishna river waters. He accused the previous BRS regime of betraying Telangana's long-term interests by compromising with Andhra Pradesh, allowing large-scale water diversion, engineering failures, and financial mismanagement. According to a statement, the Minister delivered two detailed PowerPoint presentations at Jyotirao Phule Praja Bhavan - one on the illegal diversion of Krishna River waters to Andhra Pradesh and the other on the disastrous consequences of relocating the originally sanctioned Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi (PCSS) project to Medigadda under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. The first presentation highlighted how the BRS regime, during its 10-year rule from 2014 to 2023, failed to protect Telangana's entitlement to Krishna waters and even facilitated illegal infrastructure development by Andhra Pradesh to divert water from the Srisailam reservoir. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Andhra Pradesh's diversion of Krishna water to outside-basin areas surged from 245.3 TMC between 2004-05 and 2014 to 1,192.44 TMC between 2014-15 and 2023-24, due to the expansion of the Muchumarri Lift Irrigation Scheme and the creation of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS). 'These projects enhanced AP's drawal capacity from the Srisailam reservoir to 11 TMC per day.' He pointed out that these works were undertaken without Central Water Commission (CWC) clearance or Apex Council approval, in clear violation of the AP Reorganisation Act. Despite being fully aware, the BRS government failed to raise objections with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) or the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, thus compromising Telangana's rightful share. He stated that the previous Telangana government accepted unjust water-sharing ratios, initially agreeing to a 299:512 TMC formula in 2015 and later to a 34:66 ratio in 2017-18, which remained in effect until 2020. He alleged that the BRS government even wrote to KRMB stating that the 34:66 formula should continue 'since no other basis exists.' The Congress government, Uttam Reddy said, has now officially rejected that stance. He referred to a letter written by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to the Union Jal Shakti Minister on March 3, 2025, demanding a reversal of the unfair ratio and reinforcing Telangana's demand for a 71% share--575 TMC out of the 811 TMC originally allotted to undivided Andhra Pradesh, based on basin parameters like catchment area, population, drought-prone area, and cultivable land. Final arguments under Section 3 of the ISRWD Act, 1956, are underway before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II), and the Congress government has decided to back its claims with strong technical and legal evidence. Uttam Kumar Reddy further added that Andhra Pradesh was able to increase its withdrawal capacity through unauthorised expansion of Muchumarri LIS from 0.85 TMC/day to 3 TMC/day by adding nine pumps, and RLIS from 3 TMC/day to 8 TMC/day, again by installing nine pumps, taking total drawal capacity to 11 TMC/day. These expansions enabled AP to draw water far beyond its share, and the BRS government's silence allowed these violations to become operational realities. He also reminded that Andhra Pradesh had taken up other unauthorised projects like Telugu Ganga, GNSS, HNSS, and Veligonda after the 1976 KWDT-I award, while Telangana's projects remained neglected. He said that the BRS regime played a complicit role in allowing AP to proceed with RLIS tenders by deliberately stalling the Apex Council meeting proposed by the Centre in October 2020. Instead of attending the meeting and raising objections, the then Telangana government raised procedural hurdles and delayed its participation, creating a window of opportunity for Andhra Pradesh, which issued RLIS tenders on October 5, 2020. By the time Telangana responded, Andhra had already secured administrative and technical momentum, which the BRS failed to challenge, further weakening Telangana's legal case. The Congress government, Uttam said, has submitted project-specific allocations to the Tribunal. These include 90 TMC for Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), 50 TMC for Kalwakurthy LIS, 40 TMC each for Nettempadu LIS and SLBC, 20 TMC for Bhima LIS, and 15 TMC for Dindi LIS. These projects are vital for Telangana's drought-prone and fluoride-affected regions, and their allocations had been left pending due to the BRS government's failure. To ensure accountability and transparency, the Congress government has already released funds for telemetry systems to monitor water withdrawals in real-time and has re-initiated the process of securing CWC approvals. Turning to the Kaleshwaram issue, the Minister launched a scathing critique of the BRS decision to abandon the PCSS project and instead take up the Kaleshwaram project. He said that the original PCSS project had received in-principle approval from the CWC, with assured water availability of 165 TMC at 75 percent dependability. It was designed to irrigate 16.4 lakh acres across seven districts through a gravity-lift combination with modest power requirements. By 2014, Rs 11,679 crore had already been spent, and the project was eligible for 80 percent Central assistance under the AIBP scheme. Public hearings had been held, statutory clearances secured, and even KCR had written to the Centre seeking national project status. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that despite the project not being fully operational, the Congress government has achieved record Yasangi crop production, indicating that efficient management can yield tangible results even from poorly designed assets. He added that the government will rehabilitate the Kaleshwaram project with a positive mindset, following NDSA recommendations and in consultation with CWC-vetted engineers. The government has decided to redesign the barrages, enforce dam safety norms strictly, and ensure that no water is stored in structurally unsound structures, as this could endanger 44 villages and even Bhadrachalam town. He asserted that the decision to shift from Tummidihatti to Medigadda was taken without any logical or rational basis, and the reasons given by the BRS leadership did not withstand scrutiny. 'The NDSA is a recognised national authority of experts. Their advice is more credible than any political statement made by former Ministers like Harish Rao,' he said. He added that inefficiency, negligence, and corruption were the hallmarks of the BRS government's irrigation decisions. Uttam Kumar Reddy said, 'Instead of strengthening a ready-to-go project with central support, the BRS government created a white elephant. Telangana is now paying the price for that disastrous decision. But this government is committed to rebuilding what they destroyed.' He also condemned BRS leaders for running what he called a 'Goebbels-style propaganda campaign' against the Congress government, despite being directly responsible for Telangana's irrigation and financial crisis. 'This is not just a technical or legal matter,' he said. 'It is a fight for justice-for Telangana's farmers, its economy, and its future.' (ANI)
