The State government has decided to create more territorial jurisdictions in the Water Resources department headed by Chief Engineers.

The creation of new territorial jurisdiction comes in the light of the government’s decision to thoroughly revamp the department, bringing all the related wings under one umbrella. Accordingly, it was decided in principle to increase the existing project areas headed by the CEs from 13 to 19.

A decision to this effect was announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao during a review meeting on the progress of works relating to different projects. He said the revamp of the department was mandated in view of the significant changes that were brought in the sector since the formation of Telangana and there was a vast difference in the situation that existed before the formation of the State and after its formation.

The Chief Minister said irrigation facilities had grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years. Increase in ayacut due to the construction of projects, canals and pump houses had also resulted in increased workload on the department calling for revamp of the department. It was decided to make Adilabad, Mancherial, Jagtial, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Ramagundam, Warangal, Mulug, Khammam, Kothagudem, Sangareddy, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool and Hyderabad new divisions to be headed by Chief Engineers.

All the projects including tanks, lifts, reservoirs, barrages, pump houses, canals and sub-stations would come under the territorial jurisdiction of the CEs. The government had already decided to take steps to ensure that the department which was divided as major, medium and minor irrigation would now function as one and it would be called Water Resources department.

According to an official release, the Chief Minister announced his decision to name Ghanpur anicut in Medak district as Vana Durga project and directed the officials concerned to take steps to revive canals under the Pakala project. Narsampet MLA P. Sudarshan Reddy said revival of canals built by the Kakatiya kings would ensure stabilisation of 30,000-acre ayacut and the Chief Minister responded positively by directing the officials concerned to prepare estimates in this regard.

Ministers Eatala Rajender and S. Niranjan Reddy, Irrigation principal secretary Rajat Kumar, Chief Minister’s officer on special duty Sreedhar Deshpande and others were present.