Allocation of ₹571 crore for Chinna Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project

The government has given the green signal for completion of the pending works of the Chinna Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project spending ₹571.57 crore with the potential to irrigate 63 villages in the Manthani Assembly Constituency.

Minister D. Sridhar Babu announced administrative approval for the project with ₹571.57 crore after a review meeting on Saturday at the Jal Soudha with Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Initiated in 2007, the project has achieved 75% completion so far. With the proactive efforts of IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu and Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy, the State government has prioritized this lift irrigation scheme among the critical projects for immediate completion.

Mr. Sridhar Babu said the project is expected to irrigate a total of 45,000 acres of agricultural land and provide 0.5 TMC of water for drinking purposes. Water will be drawn from the Godavari River through an approach canal to the Kannepalli Pump House, which will pump 4.2 TMC of water downstream to the second pump house.

The first pump house can lift 600 cubic feet of water per second, which will be supplied to the Mandiram Cheruvu and Erra Cheruvu. The remaining water will flow to the second pump house at Kataram, which will supply Godavari water to tanks in Garepalli, Polaram, Tandra, Yellapur, Kothapalli, Rudraram, Dhanwada, Adampet, Gummalapalli, Veerapur and Gudur.

As part of the scheme, the storage capacity of Erra Cheruvu will be enhanced, and the breached bund of Rudraram Tank will be reinforced. The Irrigation department has set a goal to complete the Chinna Kaleshwaram Project within two years to ensure water supply for irrigation through the tanks.

At present, Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) waters irrigate 28,800 acres in the Manthani constituency through the D-83 Distributary Canal, which channels Godavari water into the Gundaram Balancing Reservoir. From there, the water is distributed to the fields through 24 minor canals.

However, over time, silt deposition in the canals has reduced their efficiency, leading to inadequate irrigation coverage. Minister Sridhar Babu has instructed SRSP engineers to undertake desilting and repairs from the Gundaram Reservoir to the minor canals’ endpoints, aiming to restore water flow to the designated ayacut.

Published - November 23, 2024 07:40 pm IST