The Telangana government has urged the Centre to give Stage II clearance for Palamuru-Rangareddy lift-irrigation scheme to speed up works on the project.
The request was made at a virtual meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest with irrigation officials of the State. Special Chief Secretary, Irrigation, Rajat Kumar, who made the presentation to the committee said there was some delay in submitting Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Environmental Management Protocol due to Covid which affected the schedule of the project.
The project envisaged irrigation for 12.3 lakh acres in Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Narayanpet, Vikarabad, Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts and drinking water for 1,226 villages through diversion of 1.5 tmc ft water per day for 60 days a year. The project was designed with multi-stage reservoirs whose construction was completed at Narlapur (8.51 tmc ft), Edula (6.55 tmc ft), Vattem (16.74 tmc ft), Karivena (17.34 tmc ft) and Uddandapur (16.03 tmc ft). Only the construction of pump-houses was left to be taken up.
The Centre had asked the State government in 2017 to take up a public hearing on environmental aspects of the project to facilitate environmental clearance. But, it was done only last year and a formal application for clearance was made now.
The expert team headed by Prof Gopa of Indian Institute of Science heard the arguments of Special Chief Secretary, Irrigation, Rajat Kumar, at the virtual conference. Mr Rajat Kumar said the works on the project were nearing completion when the National Green Tribunal intervene on a petition by some farmers.
He explained the significance of the project to provide irrigable and drinking water to the drought prone areas of six districts.
