Irrigation O&M works with ₹48.5 cr. approved ahead of flood season

CEs told to complete works by the month-end

The Irrigation Department panel also recommended works of removal and resetting of disturbed and depressed upstream revetment of earth dam of SRSP at Pochampad. | Photo Credit: File photo

Ahead of the coming flood season, the operations and maintenance (O&M) committee of the Irrigation Department has approved a total of 66 works to be executed at a cost of ₹48.53 crore. The panel has also recommended a few major works for approval at the State Government level.

According to officials, the works approved by the committee headed by Engineer-in-Chief C. Muralidhar include repairs to non-overflow section in the left flank side of Musi project at Solipet village in Suryapet district with a cost of ₹76.1 lakh and repairs to cross-regulators and off-take sluices on distributaries of Kakatiya Canal with ₹184.9 lakh.

Emergency repairs to Tekuapally major off-take sluice of 21^st main branch canal at 77.658 km with ₹64.75 lakh and repairs to mechanical components of cross-regulator at 39.140 km on 21^st main branch canal of Nagarjunasagar Left Bank Canal at Erraboduthanda, both in Khammam district, were also approved by the panel.

The committee has also recommended works of removal and resetting of disturbed and depressed upstream revetment of earth dam of Sriramsagar project (SRSP) at Pochampad with ₹1,567.7 lakh, maintenance of Koelsagar lift irrigation scheme stage-one pumping station of Lift-I at Nagireddypally in Narayanpet district with ₹1,474.9 lakh for approval at the government level.

Further, work of repairs to super passage and construction of single-lane road bridge on the inspection path of SRSP Flood Flow Canal at 3.325 km near Vempally in Nizamabad district with ₹129.5 lakh was also recommended for administrative approval by the government.

The decisions were taken after examining the proposals sent by the Chief Engineers concerned. The ENC instructed the engineers to complete all the works by May 31. He also told the Chief Engineers to inspect at least one ongoing work every day and also review their progress and cautioned CEs against lethargy.

The meeting was attended by ENC (O&M) B. Nagendra Rao, CE (CDO) Z. Srinivasa Rao, CE (O&M) J. Sridevi and others participated in the meeting. The ENCs stated that action would be taken against the CEs in whose purview the progress of works was slow.