Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday directed officials to fast-track all ongoing irrigation projects in Telangana, stating that the Congress government intends to expand ayacut with tighter budgets.
At a review meeting held on May 14 with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy at Jala Saudha, project timelines were fixed and the message was clear—no delays. Uttam Kumar Reddy told officials to treat every pending scheme as urgent and asked district collectors to speed up land acquisition wherever required.
Five projects in the old Mahabubnagar region—Kalwakurthy, Nettampadu, Bhima, Koyalsagar, and Palamuru-Ranga Reddy—were marked for immediate push. Other priority schemes include SLBC, Dindi, and Udayasamudram in Nalgonda, and Sitarama in Khammam. Devadula and Gauravelli in north Telangana are also being expedited.
Tummadihatti is next in line. The minister said SLBC tunnel works would resume only after advanced geophysical studies, including Heliborne EM and LIDAR surveys by NGRI and allied institutes.
On Sunday, Uttam Kumar Reddy inspected two ongoing lift irrigation schemes—Janpahad and Bette Thanda—in Palakeedu mandal, Suryapet district. At Janpahad, pegged at ₹270 crore, he said land issues were cleared and work must move without delay. The project, once ready, will benefit over a dozen villages in the region.
Bette Thanda, drawing water from the Musi river, is slated to be completed by August-end. The ₹33.83 crore project will irrigate 2,041 acres, aiding 2,176 farmers, largely from tribal communities. Land acquisition and compensation are done, with ₹1.66 lakh spent per acre. Villages to benefit include Bette Thanda, Paade Thanda, and Sajjapuram.
The minister reiterated the Congress government’s plan to build lift schemes wherever feasible to improve cultivation and rural incomes, especially in backward zones.