Hyderabad: Nearly a dozen irrigation projects across the state, which were initiated more than two decades ago, are yet to be completed. While some could not be finished due to lack of budgetary support, some were due to issues related to land acquisition and required permissions from the Central agencies, etc. One of the major irrigation projects, J Chokka Rao Devadula project, was started in 2004-05, and 20 years later, the project is yet to be completed.Officials admit the delay in completion of the irrigation projects is not only resulting in escalation of the project cost, but also depriving the farmers of benefits. For instance, Devadula project cost increased from ₹6,016 crore in 2004 to ₹18,400 crore in 2026 due to increases in construction costs, GST revisions, land acquisition compensation, electricity charges, inflation, revised designs and works taken up over the years.Similarly, Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project that is aimed at providing both irrigation and drinking water requirements of drought prone areas especially Nalgonda, was started during 2005 and the works are still going on. The works were stalled for many years and the Congress govt has restarted the works.“There is a big list of projects including Jawahar Nettampadu Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS), Rajiv Bheema LIS, Mahatma Gandhi Kalwakurthy LIS, Lower Penganga-Chanaka Korata barrage, Komaram Bheem project, etc., which were proposed in late 1990s and early 2000s and not completed in full capacity,” a chief engineer of the irrigation department said.Some officials said priorities of the govt kept changing in the past two decades, as successive govts over the years have given top priority for a few projects.Now, the Congress govt is focusing on taking up the works of Tummidihatti barrage and reviving Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation scheme, Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, SLBC, Sammakka Sagar barrage, and Dindi lift irrigation schemes.Irrigation minister sets Dec 2027 deadline for Devadula projectTelangana irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy set Dec 31, 2027 as the deadline for the completion of the much-delayed J Chokka Rao Devadula lift irrigation scheme.During a review meeting on the progress of the project along with other ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Danasari Anasuya and MP Balaram Naik in the Secretariat on Saturday, Uttam directed officials to accelerate execution on a war footing to ensure completion of the project, which is aimed at providing irrigation support to 5.57 lakh acres across 10 districts of Telangana. He directed all departments to remove bottlenecks on a war footing to speed up the pace of works.He reviewed various issues pertaining to the proejct including physical progress, financial status, land acquisition, court cases, pending distributary systems, contractor delays, ayacut creation and funding requirements.Describing the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme as one of Telangana’s most prestigious and strategically important irrigation projects, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the scheme was designed to lift 38.16 tmcft of water from the Godavari river to irrigate drought-prone upland regions across northern and eastern Telangana.He reiterated that the state govt is committed to providing irrigation facility to 5.57 lakh acres spread across Hanumakonda, Warangal, Jangaon, Yadadri Bhongir, Suryapet, Siddipet, Mahabubabad, Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Karimnagar districts.The project achieved 87.70% physical progress and major components including pump houses, pipeline systems and tunnel excavation have largely been completed. However, canal lining works, distributary systems, delay in completion of some structures and land acquisition continue to delay full utilisation of the created infrastructure.“We need to avoid any further delays in the completion of the Devadula project. Every department must work with a sense of urgency and coordination to complete the project by December 2027,” the minister told the officials.The govt had so far spent ₹14,422 crore on the project, while another ₹3,978 crore would be required to complete the remaining works.The minister said that the project includes Asia’s longest 49-km D-shaped irrigation tunnel and said arrangements were being made to meet the project’s 495.55 MW power requirement. He also stated that the Sammakka Barrage integration would ensure near year-round water availability for the scheme.
