Hyderabad: Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, the Deputy Chief Minister, emphasized the importance of the Chokka Rao Devadula Project for the state government.
He toured the project site with colleagues N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Vaakiti Srihari, Seethakka, and local MPs and MLAs. Bhatti highlighted that the Congress government has prioritized this project from the start. He mentioned that Rs 100 crore is pending, covering land acquisition and other bills. Funds will be released in stages, and officials need to provide the necessary details. The project supplies irrigation water to 17 state constituencies.
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that the project aims to irrigate 5.57 lakh acres in Hanamkonda, Warangal, Karimnagar, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Jangaon, Yadadri, Suryapet, and Siddipet. The project involves a total lift of 469 metres and utilizes 38.16 TMC over 170 pumping days yearly, executed in three phases. It includes pump houses, canals, reservoirs, and mains to supply water to high-elevation areas. The revised project cost is Rs 18,500 crore, with Rs 14,168.49 crore already spent. An additional Rs 4,331.51 crore is needed to pay contractors, complete works, and acquire land. Completion will stabilize the ayacut, provide drinking water, boost crops, and reduce migration from dry areas.
Earlier, Uttam Kumar Reddy attended the foundation stone ceremony for the Rs 630.30 crore Jawahar Lift Irrigation Scheme in Vangaveedu, Madhira mandal, Khammam district. Alongside Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and other ministers, he called it a ‘game changer’ for Madhira. Tenders are finalized, and the project will finish in one year, irrigating 33,000 acres.
