Telangana Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao on Friday stated that the State Government would implement several suggestions given by irrigation expert and retired Engineer-in-Chief T. Hanumantha Rao in the redesigning of major irrigation projects as also in restoration of minor irrigation tanks under Mission Kakatiya.
Along with irrigation Chief Engineers B. Hariram and N. Venkateshwarlu and Officer on Special Duty Sridhar Rao Deshpande, the Minister had a meeting with Mr. Hanumantha Rao at the latter’s residence here.
The Minister assured the irrigation expert that the government would surely take into consideration his suggestion to use reversible pumps which would help lifting back water and power generation to maintain levels and also during lean inflows.
Further, the Minister stated that he would take the suggestion for taking up construction of locks keeping in mind the possibility of inland waterways (shipping) and would move the Centre for permissions and funds.
He also agreed to implement Mr. Hanumantha Rao’s suggestion to increase the height of bunds of tanks being restored under Mission Kakatiya programme to improve the strength of the bund.
On the suggestions made by Mr. Hanumantha Rao at various forums stating that the government could save Rs.20,000 crore by effecting some changes in the redesigned projects, the expert was convinced by the arguments of the chief engineers on the decisions taken by the government. He agreed to the engineers’ view that diverting 100 TMC ft water from Tummidihatti was not possible since construction of canals was already completed.
The former ENC admitted that there would not be any change in the capacity of water pumped by increasing or decreasing the height of the barrage at Tummidihatti. He also supported construction of three barrages between Medigadda and Yellampally. The suggestion to take up chain of barrages between Yellampally and Sriramsagar would be taken up in the second phase.
Mr. Hanumantha Rao was also convinced by the explanation given by the government engineers stating that it was not possible to have another barrage between Tummidihatti and Yellampally since 44 km long canals were already excavated.
The engineers explained to him that the canals would help in increasing the irrigation potential from the 50,000 acres in the original design to over 2 lakh acres now in Adilabad district.
State Government to implement several suggestions made by the irrigation expert
