The long cherished dream of people of the district of getting water from Godavari came true with water being released from Tapaspally Reservoir by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao on Wednesday.
The Minister released the water to 73 villages, 59 in the district and 14 in neighbouring Jangaon district, through the reservoir’s left canal. The canal, under J. Chokkarao–Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme, provides assured irrigation to 82,452 acres in Cheryala, Kondapaka, Komuravelli, Maddur and Siddipet mandals.
“Godavari water has touched the feet of Siddipet which was a promise by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. It has been a long cherished dream of people of Siddipet. Godavari water travels 187 kilometres climbing 540 metres to provide irrigation for 82,452 acres. I am thankful to Chief Minister for providing an opportunity in this regard,” said Mr. Harish Rao while addressing a gathering after releasing water. He said that the neighbouring districts will also get irrigation if the Mallannasagar was completed.
J. Chokkarao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme was initiated in 2004 by the then chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and it was decided to complete the scheme in three phases. Waters have reached the lands in Siddipet during the tenure of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The scheme was witness to three governments — TDP in 2004, Congress between 2004 and 2014 and TRS since 2014 — to come to this stage.
Under first phase, pump house and pipeline works were completed by 2009 creating an estimated ayacut of 1,22,700 acres. Second phase of pump house and pipeline works were completed by 2013. Under this, canal work — R.S Ghanapur, Tapaspally, Aswaraopally and Chittakodur main canal work — was taken up and the proposed ayacut was 1,79,260 acres. Under the third phase, pump house and pipeline works have been completed and some work under package seven is in progress. While 19,447 acres of land was acquired for the LI scheme from 2004 to 2014, about 5,000 acres was acquired after formation of Telangana and an Ayacut of 47,671 acres was created between 2004 and 2014, now increased to 80,511 acres in the last three-and-a-half years.
