The Telangana government on Wednesday gave the go ahead for Palamuru lift irrigation and Jurala-Pakala projects by ordering survey and submission of detailed project reports in two months. The government also sanctioned Rs. 8.80 crore for survey and DPR for the twin projects.
The decisions were taken at a meeting on irrigation sector, presided by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
A 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 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 release added that the initial estimates put the acreage of irrigation by Palamuru project at seven lakhs in Mahabubnagar, 2.70 lakh in Ranga Reddy and 30,000 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.
