With the completion of the long-awaited lift scheme on the Laxmi canal in Sri Ram Sagar Project, farmers at Balkonda Assembly constituency demanded that water be released for 36,000 acres for the smooth passage of paddy transplantation.
Due to insufficient rainfall, farmers were invariably dependant on the water supply from the Lakshmi LI scheme. Earlier, before the construction of the LI Scheme, since the Laxmi canal head regulator was located at a higher level, it was possible to release water when it was at 1065 ft height. Now, water could be released even at 1045 ft level. At present, given the water was at 1055 ft height, with over 9 tmcft available in the reservoir, it could be released for the paddy transplantation.
The LI Scheme was almost complete thanks to the continuous push of the Balkonda MLA and vice-chairman Mission Bhagiratha, Vemula Prashanth Reddy. The scheme was the brainchild of the farmers’ leader late Ankshapur Ashok Reddy who left no stone unturned to get it sanctioned by the government.
With the initiative of the then Assembly Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy, ₹24 crore was sanctioned and the foundation was laid in 2007. Civil works were allotted to Ratnam Constructions and technical works to Kirloskar company.
However, the work was delayed, taking a final shape only when followed up by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao.
Four motors were set up for lifting 135 cusecs each and together they could lift 540 cusecs a day. The SRSP has three canals and Laxmi canal was meant for Nizamabad district. Since its head regulator was at higher level, the district could avail more benefit. Therefore, the government tried to compensate the loss in the form of LI schemes, and thus Vempally, Padigela, Nawab Cheruvu and Choutupally Hanmanth Reddy schemes came to be built.
“Probably, in the next ten days, water would be released in the presence of Harish Rao. When I was elected three years ago, just 20 per cent was completed. I took it as a challenge and ensured it got the complete shape,” Prashanth Reddy told The Hindu.
