Ministers call for immediate steps to provide water to Nalgonda farmers

Hyderabad: Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday directed officials to take immediate steps to provide irrigation water to farmers of Nalgonda district.

At the review of irrigation projects in the district, the ministers gave directions to officials on steps to be taken to complete the projects as soon as possible.

Venkat Reddy said there was a huge injustice to Nalgonda irrigation projects by the previous government. He expressed displeasure that the SLBC project, where majority of works have been completed, was also neglected. He said even though he himself spoke about the project many times in the Assembly, the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekar did not respond at all. ‘The Congress government is serious about completing the Nalgonda irrigation projects’.

He said people of the district were lucky to have Uttam Kumar Reddy from the district as the Minister of Irrigation. Uttam Kumar Reddy along with the Udaya Samudra Brahmana Vellamula Lift Irrigation Scheme canals, which provide irrigation to one lakh acres, the pending SLBC tunnel works should be taken up and completed on a war footing. ‘Even though the SLBC canals were completed by the previous Congress government, the BRS government did not even bother to maintain them. Due to lack of maintenance of SLBC canals and flood canal in the last 10 years, trees and silt had increased. He directed officials to undertake repairs to them.

Besides lining work should be completed this year and water made available. The minister directed officials to take up land acquisition of 50,000 acres in the first phase and another 50,000 acres in the second phase under the Udaya Samudram project, complete digging canals and make plans to provide irrigation water to one lakh acre ayacut. ‘The Chief Minister is positive about Nalgonda district projects’. The ministers said they will provide necessary assistance to complete the projects. About Rs 100 crore would be released for the first phase of the Udaya Samudram land acquisition and another Rs 100 crore for works. The officials were asked to work tirelessly and take steps to complete the first phase within a year and provide irrigation to 50,000 acres.