The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Venkatswamy faults project report on Pranahita-Chevella

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Venkatswamy faults project report on Pranahita-Chevella

Staff Reporter

Exclusion of Warangal district for irrigation irks the MP

Irrigation officials say that it is only tentative projection
Government Whip announces meeting on the issue

G. Venkatswamy

KARIMNAGAR: Peddapalli MP G. Venkatswamy has alleged large-scale irregularities in the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) of the ambitious Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation by the private agency.

Reacting to the Pranahita-Chevella project report submitted during the district review committee (DRC) meeting here on Saturday, Mr. Venkatswamy found fault with the mention of the project providing irrigation facilities to about 3.39 lakh acres in Nizamabad district and no mention of Warangal district. He demanded that the irrigation officials clarify how the project would provide irrigation sources to Nizamabad district and not Warangal.

When the irrigation officials tried to convince him by stating that it was only tentative projection, the Peddapalli MP asked why Chennur segment was included in the ayacut of the project as the Pranahita starts from Adilabad district.

He also demanded that they disclose how irrigation sources i.e. through gravity canals, lift schemes etc. would be provided in Karimnagar district.

To a query, the irrigation official stated that the private agency had conducted the DPR for the Pranahita-Chevella at a cost of Rs. 2.55 crore. Irked over this, he charged that no company officials or experts had visited the project site and prepared the DPR by sitting in Hyderabad.

When the situation was losing out of control and Venkatswamy became emotional, Government Whip D. Sridhar pacified him by announcing that a detailed meeting with the irrigation officials would be held in Hyderabad in the second week of this month to clarify all doubts of the district leaders on the Pranahita-Chevella project.

The project report on Pranahita-Chevella says that a barrage would be constructed across river Pranahita in Thummadihetti village of Kautala mandal of Adilabad district to utilise about 160 tmcfts of water. Under this project, the water would be lifted to Sripada Yellampalli balancing reservoir and later to Mothe reservoir and Mid-Manair Dam reservoir and others parts of Telangana region to provide irrigation sources to 17.25 lakh acres.

The meeting was chaired by Minister for Mines and Geology P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, Ministers T. Jeevan Reddy, J. Ratnakara Rao, ZP chairman A. Mohan, legislators Chada Venkat Reddy, Etala Rajender, G. Mukund Reddy, K. Ramulu, K. Eshwar, V. Lakshmikantha Rao, K. Lingaiah, Sana Maruthi, MLC Ch. Sudhakar Rao, Collector Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Joint Collector K. Sasidhar were also present.

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