Ministers Pledge to Complete Pending Irrigation Projects in Mahbubnagar District

Gadwal: Telangana’s Minister for Major Irrigation, M. Uttam Kumar Reddy, has assured that all pending irrigation projects in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district will be completed to turn the region fertile. The minister, accompanied by Excise and Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, visited the Gattu Lift Irrigation Scheme on Wednesday. The ministers were warmly welcomed by local public representatives and officials during the visit.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy gathered comprehensive information about the ongoing works at the Gattu Lift Irrigation Scheme. Speaking on the occasion, he stated that having served as a six-time MLA and once as an MP in both unified Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he has a deep understanding of the district. He mentioned that during his tenure as a minister in the unified Andhra Pradesh, he had toured these projects and is now committed, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, to push for the completion of these works.

He emphasized the collective efforts of the government to expedite ongoing works and approve new ones. Highlighting key pending projects, including Palamuru-Rangareddy, Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Bhima, and Koilsagar, he assured that the government is dedicated to completing them promptly. The minister also mentioned that they plan to increase the capacity of the Relampadu reservoir, address leakage issues, and push for financial approvals to enhance water storage capacity by 10 TMC.

He further stated that DPR (Detailed Project Report) for additional storage will be prepared, and once approved by the Chief Minister, works will begin. Reddy also vowed to address the RDS issue in Alampur and take necessary actions regarding the Mallamma Kunta reservoir. He assured that all irrigation projects in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district will be completed within the next three to four years.

Minister Jupally Krishna Rao emphasized that the entire district relies on the Jurala project, from the Krishna River’s start to the Jurala reservoir. He explained that six lakh acres depend on Jurala, Nettempadu, and Bhima, but the reservoir sometimes fails to fill during the rainy season, causing water shortages. To address this, Gattu Lift Irrigation and similar projects will be completed to solve the problem. He added that the government is working to ensure water supply without depending on Karnataka.

Nagar Kurnool MP Mallu Ravi assured that the Gattu Lift Irrigation works would be brought to the attention of the Chief Minister for early completion. He further stated that the government will complete all projects in the Palamuru district to turn it into a fertile land.

MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy mentioned that the Gattu Lift Irrigation project is designed with a capacity of 1.36 TMC and is expected to expand, providing water not only to Telangana but also to Karnataka. He added that engineering officials are preparing plans to increase water storage from 15 TMC to 25 TMC using advanced technology. He also mentioned that efforts are underway to increase the storage capacity of Relampadu reservoir from 2 TMC to 4 TMC by next year, allowing for a second crop season.

Other prominent attendees at the event included Planning Board Vice Chairman Chinna Reddy, District Collector B.M. Santosh, SP Srinivasa Rao, officials from the Irrigation and Finance departments, State Secretaries Ramakrishna Rao, ENC Anil, Additional Collectors Narsinga Rao, Srinivasa Rao, RDO Ramachander, and Irrigation EE Raheemuddin.