CM KCR Sanctions Rs 8.76 Cr To Survey For His Twin Dream Projects

After a 7 year delay, Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project made it’s 1st step towards survey, thanks to Telangana’s own government now. While on paper, Rs 7 Cr was sanctioned for surveying for this project in erstwhile AP, nothing happened then.

The Telangana government has released Rs 8.76 crore for conducting surveys and preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) for the Palamuru lift irrigation and Jurala-Pakala projects. The two are chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s dream projects for which sufficient funds will be allocated in the first budget to be presented in the state legislative Assembly in September.

At a review meeting held with irrigation officials here on Wednesday, the chief minister directed the officials to conduct a survey on these important projects within 2 months and prepare DPRs immediately for their early execution. 

A CMO release later said Mr. Rao wanted the projects to be completed expeditiously by making allocations in the coming budget. The survey of Palamuru scheme will be taken up by the Engineering Staff College of India while WAPCO Consultancy Services was awarded the work for Jurala- Pakala.

The Rs 18000 Cr Palamuru scheme envisages utilisation of the flood waters of Jurala project to meet the irrigation requirements of Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts. It was proposed to lift 70 tmcft water from Jurala to Laxmidevipalli which is at a high altitude in Shadnagar mandal of Mahabubnagar district and take the water by gravity to lower plains. Integrating mid-Dindi project located between Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts was part of the scheme. The government is contemplating expanding the project for supplying drinking water to Hyderabad.

The Palamuru project would cover 38 mandals in Mahbubnagar, 17 mandals in Rangareddy and 2 mandals in Nalgonda. Initial estimates put the total acreage of irrigation by Palamuru project at 10 lakh with 7 lakh acres in Mahabubnagar, 2.70 lakh in Ranga Reddy and 30,000 acres in Nalgonda districts. The government proposed to extend the project to meet the drinking water needs of Hyderabad. 

The Jurala- Pakala project aimed to fill 400 minor irrigation tanks to stabilise ayacut in Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and Warangal districts. It was designed to take 60 to 70 tmcft water by gravity over 400 km and thereby establish a chain link of tanks.