Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday gave the go ahead for tendering for 15 lift irrigation schemes that he announced at a public meeting ahead of the to Nagarjunasagar Assembly byelection recently.
At a review meeting with irrigation officials, he asked them to invite tenders for the schemes in the ayacut of left canal of Nagarjunasagar from Devarakonda to Kodad. They were also asked to prepare the estimates of works by June 15 and then invite tenders. Energy Minister G. Jagdish Reddy was supposed to coordinate with officials in preparation of estimates for construction of canals and installation of pumps for the lifts. The estimates should be prepared scheme-wise but the tenders should be invited for all of them together.
The lift irrigation schemes were announced at the time of laying of foundation stone for one of them at Nellikallu during Mr. Rao’s visit to Halia in Nagarjunasagar constituency to address a public meeting. An old tender for the lift at Nellikallu should be cancelled and a fresh one finalised within a week, Mr. Rao said addressing the officials.
He asked them to complete the lining work on Distributary Below Manair (DBM) - 71 from Mailaram to Suryapet be taken up to ensure that the water of Kaleswaram project was lifted to fill all the tanks, reservoirs and check-dams. The flow of water from Pranahita river was forceful after June 20. The same should be lifted and filled in tanks, reservoirs and check-dams in the radar of the canal network of Kaleswaram project. The water availability in the project from Ellampalli to Dummugudem was up to October end.
He reminded them about the belief of farmers that the crop was not exposed to pest attack if they took up sowings in `Rohini karte’. They also believed that crop yield was higher in such sowings. So, the tanks and reservoirs should be filled with water by then.
Mr. Rao enquired about the works in progress on medium irrigation projects in Adilabad. He also enquired about work on lifts in Armoor and Balkonda constituencies. The work on Sitammasagar project in Khammam district should be completed by June next year, he said.
