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The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Govt. committed to completion of pending irrigation projects, says Chief Minister
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has asserted that his government is committed to completing the pending irrigation projects in Telangana and steps are being taken in this direction. The government has, accordingly, prioritised SLBC, Sitarama, Devadula, Nettempadu, Sammakka-Sarakka and other projects for speedy completion. 'The government is working with commitment to complete the pending irrigation projects to harness the irrigation potential in the interests of the people,' he said. The Chief Minister was speaking after distributing appointment letters to newly appointed assistant executive engineers and other officers of the Irrigation department on Wednesday. He described the job in the Irrigation department as an 'emotion' not merely employment and said political parties gained benefits using the emotion. He recalled how the government had recruited personnel for 1,161 posts in the department since it took over the reins and said equitable share in water was one of the main objectives behind the separate statehood movement. Mr. Revanth Reddy wondered why the irrigation projects remained pending despite spending ₹ 2 lakh crore since the formation of Telangana in 2014. 'Why are the projects incomplete 10 years after the State formation? Who have benefitted from the amounts released?' he questioned, exhorting intellectuals and employees to review the developments over the past decade of the BRS rule. The Chief Minister recalled how the Congress, under former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, prioritised irrigation and constructed major projects which were not disturbed by calamities. But the Kaleshwaram project which was conceived and completed by the previous government collapsed in three years. 'The Kaleshwaram project which involved investment of ₹1 lakh crore did not provide irrigation to at least 50,000 acres. It is the only project in the world which collapsed within three years of its construction,' he said. The project was a lesson on how not to construct a project that would entail severe losses. This could be seen from the fact that the previous government had not conducted soil testing before taking up construction of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages. 'This is because of an individual who claims to have read 80,000 books and turned himself into an engineer,' he said. There should be clear demarcation of duties in every field. 'Engineers should discharge their duties and politicians theirs. Engineers should work with discretion as they will be at loss if they listen to advices of politicians with limited knowledge,' he said, expressing concern over the safety of projects taken up during the previous government because of the lopsided policies. Mr. Revanth Reddy said people knew whose negligence resulted in the SLBC project remaining incomplete over the last decade and said the government should take adequate care in the construction of projects. Referring to the Group-I appointments, he said he was aware of the political leaders who were creating obstacles in the recruitment process. The government was, however, committed to overcome the hurdles and complete the recruitment process soon.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Uttam urges CWC to expedite water allocation for PRLIS, Sammakka-Sarakka projects
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy met Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman Atul Jain in New Delhi on Wednesday with the focus of discussions on water allocations for the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and the Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage. The meeting also saw discussions on critical issues related to inter-State water management, infrastructure safety, and backwater impact from the Polavaram project. During the meeting, Mr. Uttam requested a total water allocation of 90 tmcft for PRLIS, with an immediate sanction of 45 tmcft in the first phase, citing that Telangana had already complied with all procedural and documentation requirements laid down by the CWC. He also urged the CWC to expedite the allocation of 44 tmcft for the Sammakka-Sarakka project, noting that all necessary maps and documentation had been submitted. He underlined the importance of early approval to ensure that agrarian communities dependent on these projects are not left vulnerable to recurring droughts. In addition to these project-specific matters, the Minister expressed serious concerns over the illegal diversion of Krishna River water by Andhra Pradesh. He called on the CWC to immediately install telemetry instruments at critical points along the river to monitor water flows and prevent unauthorised withdrawals. He pointed out that Telangana had already released its financial share for the installation of these instruments to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB). The CWC Chairman, Atul Jain, is also currently holding additional charge as Chairman of the KRMB and the Polavaram Project Authority, which makes his role pivotal in ensuring compliance, coordination, and transparency in inter-State water sharing and monitoring. Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy drew the attention of the CWC Chairman to the recent report by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), which raised serious concerns about the structural and design integrity of the entire project — not just the Medigadda barrage, but also the Annaram and Sundilla barrages. He pointed out that the NDSA, after its technical inspection, had recommended that the Telangana government seek the technical advice and oversight of the CWC to evaluate the safety of KLIS infrastructure and determine the way forward. Citing the report, he said there were multiple structural deficiencies, including sand piping, foundation instability, and poor quality control, which led to irreversible damage in some components of the project. Acting on this recommendation, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy requested the CWC to engage with the State government in conducting a comprehensive geotechnical and structural review and to advise on corrective measures to restore and safeguard the project.
