Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy on Tuesday instructed officials to work towards achieving the twin goals set by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the district, fill up all the 348 tanks under the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) and ensure water reaches the tail-end region under the Nagarjunasagar Project (NSP).
Over 191 tanks in several villages under the SRSP ayacut have been filled so far and the filling process is in progress in 124 tanks, he said. Strategies in case of technical delays were being worked out for the remaining units.
The irrigation requirements for 27,000 acres under the Nagarjunasagar Project could not be met as the water could not reach beyond the 85% ayacut.
Mr. Reddy spoke to irrigation officials at a review meeting on Tuesday, along with District Collector D. Amoy Kumar.
He sought details of SRSP 69, 70 and 71 water distribution main canals and inquired as to why water did not reach the tail-end areas though there has been a heavy inflow at the NSP.
He instructed officials to conduct field-level surveys and submit daily reports on the status.
Mr. Reddy, while giving credit to the Chief Minister for taking the initiative and turning the once-drought prone district to an irrigation potential one, blamed the erstwhile governments for “design-less canals which have now turned useless”.
“It appears that they lacked the intention to provide water. Canals were not built as per designs, but to just draw bills,” he said.
The Minister also reminded that it was under the TRS government that water reached the Rajavaram major in the tail-end of the NSP left canal last year, a first in the past five decades.
However, on water not reaching beyond 22 kilometres of the total 27,000 acres ayacut under Rajavaram and Perur majors, he asked officials to strategise and make water available for the second crop.
Mr. Reddy also informed that KCR would assess the water situation and advise on irrigation planning for the district shortly.
Thungathurthy legislator G. Kishore Kumar and Huzurnagar legislator Shanampudi Saidireddy, who took part in the review meeting, spoke about the irrigation challenges in their respective Assembly constituencies.
