Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao has asserted that the government has decided to redesign some of the proposed major irrigation projects to rectify certain critical deficiencies in terms of hydrology, location, unresolved inter-State aspects and storage requirements.
Five projects have been redesigned with an increased cost of ₹61,489.92 crore for achieving an additional 30 lakh acre ayacut and stabilisation of the existing ayacut under these projects. These projects are: Pranahita Chevella Sujala Sravanti, JCR Devadula Lift Irrigation scheme, Indiramma Floodflow Canal, P.V. Narsimha Rao Kanthanapally Sujala Sravanti and Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project.
Storage capacity of the online reservoirs had been increased up to 206.36 tmcft and this had increased the scope for fisheries, tourism and inland water transportation projects. “The viability of these projects would not be possible without redesigning them,” he said.
Cost escalation
The Minister strongly refuted the BJP’s charge that the government had steeply escalated the cost of the project in the name of re-design and re-engineering.
BJP member G. Kishan Reddy alleged during the Question Hour that that the government had significantly enhanced the estimates of these projects and it was going ahead with some of the projects without assessing the availability of water. The projects appeared to be redesigned to benefit the contractors and the government had initiated works on some of the projects even before the preparation of the detailed project reports.
Mr. Harish Rao recalled that utilisation of the State’s justified share of water was one of the main themes of the Telangana struggle and the government was committed to ensure that every single drop of its share was utilised for the public good. “We have no political or other considerations in taking up the work on projects. The speedy clearances received for the redesigned projects from the Centre speaks volumes about our commitment,” he said.
Krishna water
The TRS government took the initiative to scrap the EPC system as also the payment of mobilisation advances. The cost of the projects had no doubt increased, but it was because of the enhancement in the scope of coverage of the project as also the additional features that were incorporated during the redesign and re-engineering. He quoted the examples of Kaleshwaram, Kanthanapally and Sitarama projects that were aimed at realising the government’s dream of providing water to even tail-end districts.
The government was equally firm on constructing the Palamur lift irrigation scheme as it would provide a strong case for the State to seek its justified share from the Krishna river. While the government was working with commitment to complete the projects on schedule, the Congress tried to create legal hurdles by approaching the courts. The main Opposition indulged in mud-slinging on the TRS when these attempts failed and the projects secured all the clearances.
