As many as 51 lift irrigation (LI) schemes on various water bodies, including canals and rivulets across the district, are remaining in disuse for want of repairs to their pump sets despite the renewed focus on taping the irrigation potential of minor irrigation sources.
The Telangana State Irrigation Development Corporation (TSIDC) has taken up modernisation of several LI schemes on Nagarjunasagar Project (NSP) left canal and other water bodies for reviving some of the defunct LI schemes to augment irrigation facilities in Khammam division and elsewhere in the district. Some of the defunct LI schemes were revived and a couple of new LI schemes had come up in the past few months in different mandals across the district. However, a total of 51 LI schemes including several old projects are yet to be restored in the district.
Three LI schemes on Akeru rivulet situated at Hydersaipeta and Azmeera Tanda in the upland mandal of Tirumalayapalem in Khammam division have remained defunct for long, depriving the locals, mainly the tribal farmers, of the assured irrigation facilities. The LI scheme on Pillavagu stream at Lachagudem in Chintakani mandal is functioning below its actual capacity due to lack of necessary repairs, sources added.
“One of the motors and some pipelines of the LI scheme in our village need urgent repairs,” said Venkateshwarlu, a farmer of Lachagudem. Despite availability of water in the local stream, we are unable to make full use of it, he added.
Proposals have already been submitted to the government for carrying out repairs to the three LI schemes on Akeru rivulet with an irrigation potential of around 400 acres in Tirumalayapalem mandal at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore, said Raju, Assistant Engineer, TSIDC, Khammam. Proposals for modernising 13 LI schemes across the district at an estimated cost of Rs 6.15 crore are under the consideration of the government, he said, when contacted by The Hindu . Works on modernisation of five LI schemes on the NSP left canal at Mutapuram in Nelakondapalli mandal are progressing at a brisk pace.
