The State government is committed to provide water to one lakh acre ayacut under Udayasamudram project in the erstwhile Nalgonda district by Kharif 2019, Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao said.
Work on the surge pool, pump houses and tunnels were progressing at brisk pace and canal works too were progressing speedily as the acquisition of the land required has been completed. The project was conceived by the previous Congress government in 2008-09 and the foundation stone was subsequently laid in 2010, but works were not initiated ever since making the project a non-starter, he said.
Responding to a question during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, the Minister said the Congress government had spent ₹197 crore for purchase of electro-mechanical pumps and motors, but no work had been taken up for fixing them. “This equipment was purchased for the sake of commissions as is evident from the non-commencement of works on tunnel, surge pool and other requirements,” he said.
Following the directions from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the TRS government started work on the project and they were in advanced stages of completion. In addition to the work planned, new work had been initiated at a cost of ₹125 crore and work on the construction of tunnel spanning over 10 km were nearing completion.
Replying to another question on modernisation of Koil Sagar project in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district, the Minister said works on the left main canal, including lining of the existing canal, extension and distributory systems had been taken up at a cost of ₹33 crore. Administrative approvals had been given for right main canal works and the process for calling tenders had been initiated to double the discharge capacity of the canals from 180 cusecs to 387 cusecs.
The right main canal would cater to over 37,000 acre ayacut once completed and modernisation of the left main canal would create new ayacut and providing water to existing ayacut of 10,000 acres in addition to stabilising water supply to 3,000 acres.
The government was positive to suggestions on constructing sluice in the Palamuru-Rangareddy project to supplement the needs of Koil Sagar project, the Minister added.
