The Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS) is all poised to set a new record by pumping 100 tmcft water from the Godavari River Basin. The scheme had done this in a record 148 days.
According to figures from the office of Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, the lift irrigation scheme was operated from June 17 and reached 99.3542 tmcft on Wednesday (147th day), Executive Engineer J Subramanyeswara Rao said. The LIS would pump another 0.70 tmcft on Thursday.
While 80 tmcft had been transferred from the basin to the Krishna basin, 4 tmcft had been lost due to evaporation, 16 tmcft was utilised for the irrigation of one lakh acres that were cultivated on either side of the Polavaram Right Main Canal (RMC), Mr. Subramanyeswara Rao said.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at a Neeru-Chettu programme in Rayalaseema said the Pattiseema LIS had the capacity to pump 100 tmcft from Godavari in the season and water to the same extent would be diverted from the Srisailam reservoir to Rayalaseema via the Pothyreddipadu Head Regulator.
The main objective of the scheme, which was completed in a record time by the Megha Engineering & Infrastructres Limited (MEIL), was to transfer 80 tmcft in 110 days.
Tangible gains
The pumps transferred 4 tmcft in 93 days in 2015, the first year, 55.6 tmcft in 137 days in the second year (2016) and 100 tmcft in 148 days in the third year with an improvement in performance every subsequent year.
Crop worth ₹24,000 crore was generated in these three years, according to rough estimates. The government has arranged to show its MLAs and MLCs the Polavaram project on Thursday. And since the LIS would complete pumping 100 tmcft even as they reach the site, it would be an occasion to celebrate, he said.