Chenaka-Korata Barrage works at a snail’s pace

Chenaka-Korata Barrage works at a snail’s pace
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Highlights

Construction of the Chenaka-Korata Barrage across River Penganga has been proceeding at a snail’s pace with completion of 60,000 cubic meters of cement concrete works, against the targeted 80,000 cubic meters, erection of only 16 crest gates up to foundation level, against the 22 gates, digging up to 2 km for the main canal against the proposed 3.36 km distance.

Adilabad: Construction of the Chenaka-Korata Barrage across River Penganga has been proceeding at a snail’s pace with completion of 60,000 cubic meters of cement concrete works, against the targeted 80,000 cubic meters, erection of only 16 crest gates up to foundation level, against the 22 gates, digging up to 2 km for the main canal against the proposed 3.36 km distance.

It was proposed to acquire 120 acres for the project, but so far only 30 acres could be acquired in two years for the barrage. Only 10 per cent of the pump house, taken up at a cost of Rs 70 crore, could be completed in a year. The officials predict that it would take at least one more year to complete it. They are apprehensive of putting the works on hold for at least four months on account of the rainy season.

In fact, 142 acres of land is needed to dig the main canal. But farmers of Jandapur and Chandal are not willing to part with their land for the canal.

Tenders have been finalised for digging canals but works are yet to commence. The government ordered release of water to at least 10,000 acres by June next. But, going by the slow pace of execution, it is not in a position to extend irrigation facility to at least 1000 acres.

A farmers’ association leader Prabhakar breathed fire on Minister Jogu Ramanna for doing precious little except reviewing the project status once in a fortnight with revenue and irrigation officials.

Farmers’ bodies are worried about the delay in construction of the barrage and apprehensive that it would take at least a decade to complete the barrage going by the pace of execution.

They blame it on contractors for the barrage not being able to provide irrigation facility to the kharif crops. They seek action against the non-performing contractors by the government to expedite the barrage works.

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