The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Devadula pipeline damage triggers controversy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Devadula pipeline damage triggers controversy

Staff Reporter

WARANGAL: A technical snag encountered during the trial run of the prestigious Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme near the project site late Sunday night led to a major controversy with leaders of the Telugu Desam, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Communists flaying the Andhra Pradesh government for negligence.

The lid of a manhole that facilitates technical personnel to enter the huge pipes blew off due to the pressure following which the gap between two pipes got widened. “The welding was not done properly and the water gushed out from the pipes throwing off the lid. It will take some time to dewater the area and study the exact cause of the problem,” said Superintending Engineer Surender Reddy.

There are several manholes along the distribution line, about one for every 200 metres. Asked whether a similar problem would occur elsewhere along the 150 km long route and cause damage to the crops, Mr. Surender Reddy said the accident took place very near the intake well where the pressure was more and as flow continued through pipelines, the pressure would come down.

The Phase I of the prestigious J Chokka Rao Lift Irrigation Scheme (Devadula), taken up at a cost of Rs. 930 crore, envisages lifting of 5.18 tmcft of water from the Godavari at Gangaram intake well in Eturunagaram mandal to irrigate 1.23 lakh acres. The distribution line has 2.50 mm diameter pipes to a length of 150 kilometres. Collector K. Damayanthi and Superintendent of Police Soumya Mishra visited the site.

TRS MP B Vinod Kumar and TDP district unit president R. Prakash Reddy interacted with the officials. Mr. Vinod Kumar demanded constitution of a high-power technical committee to look into the problem.

Sonia to visit site

Special Correspondent from Hyderabad adds: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will visit the Devadula, Asia’s biggest lift irrigation project, on March 14 and also dedicate to the nation the Pushkaram project, another lift scheme in East Godavari, the following day.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh