Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has cleared the revised ₹19,325 crore estimate for the Sitarama lift irrigation project, significantly increasing the project’s scope across three districts. The updated proposal, up from ₹13,057 crore, was approved in Monday’s cabinet meeting following a formal request by Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao.
The upgraded estimate will bring Godavari water to vast stretches of the former Khammam district and parts of Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mahabubabad. According to officials, the expansion will add 3.29 lakh acres of new ayacut and stabilise another 3.45 lakh acres across 11 assembly segments. The government has committed to completing modernisation and repair of all primary and secondary canals within the project’s command area.
Calling the project a lifeline for drought-prone zones, Tummala thanked Revanth Reddy, irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, and the full cabinet for swift approval. He said the revised estimate would allow long-pending upgrades, improve irrigation reliability, and transform fallow land into cultivable green zones. “Every acre will get water,” he said, terming Sitarama the most significant irrigation initiative in Telangana’s eastern corridor.
Under the revised plan:
- The 104 km main canal of the Sitarama project stands completed.
- The Satthupalli trunk canal and Palair link canal have reached 60 km.
- Remaining 125 km of canal works are underway and expected to finish within 12 months.
- Eight distributary packages have been tendered.
- Land acquisition schedules for all packages are being finalised by the collectors of Khammam and Kothagudem.
Gram sabhas and enjoyment surveys are ongoing in affected mandals. Officials said land acquisition for distributary packages would reach notification stage within six months. Construction will follow immediately, with a two-year target for full completion.
By June-end, the government plans to release 1,600 cusecs from the Godavari to support kharif sowing. This includes 1.21 lakh acres under the Nagarjunasagar ayacut and an additional 10,000 acres served by minor irrigation tanks. Plans are in place to complete the Yathalakunta tunnel under Package 9 by December, delivering water to roughly 120 tanks. Work has also begun on the Julurupadu tunnel, targeted to supply Palair by late 2026.
Both the Sitarama and Sitamma Sagar projects have received full technical design approval from the Central Water Commission’s advisory committee. The revised budget will fund last-mile works, including canal lining, distributary systems, and support infrastructure.
Officials said the expansion would not only bolster irrigation but also support Mission Bhagiratha’s drinking water grid and industrial water supply. The government expects the completed project to green vast stretches of parched terrain across three districts, making it the most consequential irrigation lift scheme commissioned since statehood.
