HYDERABAD, DEC 19 :Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy has announced a major initiative to expand the ayacut by 30 lakh acres over the next five years through cost-effective irrigation projects.

Speaking during the Question Hour in the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Thursday, he emphasized the Congress government’s focus on improving efficiency, generating employment, and addressing long-standing challenges in the irrigation sector.

Criticising the previous BRS government for spending Rs 1.81 lakh crore with limited results, Reddy outlined a comprehensive strategy aimed at maximizing irrigation coverage with minimal expenditure.

He stressed the importance of timely execution, modernizing systems, and ensuring operational sustainability of irrigation projects.

The Minister revealed that the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project is being expedited with advanced Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) equipment imported from the United States.

The revised project cost of Rs 4,650 crore has been approved, with completion expected within two years. The Congress government has allocated Rs 294.18 crore for canal projects, including Bunadigani, Dharmareddy, and Pillaipalli canals, which will provide irrigation to 66,000 acres across Nakrekal, Munugode, Bhongir, Alair, and Tungaturthi constituencies.

Administrative approvals of Rs 123.98 crore for the Pillaipalli canal and Rs 86.22 crore for the Dharmareddy canal have already been granted. The projects are expected to be completed within two years, benefiting over 40,000 acres of land.

The Dharmareddypally Canal will irrigate 17,787 acres in Bhongir and Nakrekal constituencies, while the Pillaipalli Canal will irrigate 22,500 acres across the Bhongir, Munugode, and Nakrekal constituencies.

A final decision on water allocations for the Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme will be made within a month, with local MLA Vemula Veerasham overseeing pending land acquisitions. Uttam Kumar Reddy also announced the release of Rs 37 crore for land acquisition for the Brahmanavellamla project, with an additional Rs 22 crore to be released this week. For the Baswapuram reservoir project, Rs 50 crore has been allocated under the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package, and the government is working to resolve pending issues to ensure timely completion.

The rejuvenation of Musi canals is expected to irrigate 60,000 acres in the combined Nalgonda district within two years. The capacity of the Gandhamalla project has been revised to 1.5 TMC to expedite approval.

The Minister criticized the previous government for consolidating major, medium, and minor projects under a single Chief Engineer per district, which led to inefficiencies. To address this, the Congress government has launched a special drive to improve maintenance and ensure adequate manpower for minor irrigation projects.

A total of 700 Assistant Executive Engineers (AEEs) will be recruited, along with 1,800 Laskar staff through outsourcing, to strengthen the irrigation department. Some of these recruits are graduates from prestigious institutions like IITs and IIITs, underscoring the government’s commitment to modernizing the irrigation sector.

Reddy also addressed the issue of transformer and equipment theft, which has caused losses to both farmers and the government. Measures are being taken to tackle this problem.

The government is prioritizing the timely execution of pending projects, including the Devaadula lift irrigation scheme, which is being completed on a war footing. Orders have been issued for mini-lift irrigation schemes across Telangana, with Rs 120 crore allocated for the Station Ghanpur canal, and tenders will be floated soon. Repairs and maintenance of neglected lift irrigation systems are being prioritized for integration into broader irrigation plans.

MLAs, including Kumbham Anil Kumar Reddy, Beerla Ilaiah, and Vemula Veerasham, have expressed support for the government’s initiatives, including the funding of Rs 224 crore for the Bunadigani canal, Rs 129 crore for the Dharmareddy canal, and Rs 95 crore for the Pillaipalli canal.

The Minister stressed the importance of land acquisition in ensuring the timely completion of projects and urged public representatives to facilitate smooth acquisition processes in their constituencies. He reiterated the Congress government’s commitment to bringing an additional 30 lakh acres under irrigation through cost-effective measures, while also focusing on employment generation, operational sustainability, and farmers’ welfare. Reddy reaffirmed the government’s determination to work collaboratively with farmers and MLAs to achieve these ambitious goals.