KCR to start Ramadasu lift irrigation scheme on Jan. 31

In a major success for the Telangana government, the Bhakta Ramadasu Lift Irrigation scheme in Khammam district, which would irrigate 60,000 acres, has been completed two months ahead of schedule.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had laid the foundation stone for the project on February 16, 2016 at Palair in Khammam district.

“It was targeted that the project will be completed by March 2017. But the project is completed two months ahead and earlier than expected. It is one of the fastest completed projects in the country,” the state government said in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Rao would dedicate the project to the people on January 31, the birth anniversary of 17th century saint-poet Bhakta Ramadasu.

The scheme would irrigate 60,000 acres in hitherto parched lands in Tirumalayapalem, Kusumanchi, Nelakondapally, Mudigonda, Khammam Rural mandals under Palair Assembly constituency represented by roads and buildings minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and also Dornakal mandal of Mahabubabad district.

“Under this scheme 5.5 TMC water from Nagarjuna Sagar Balancing Reservoir at Palair is pumped from a height of 125.700 metres to DBM-60 (Sriram Sagar Project state II) which is at a height of 187 metres and be released at the 45th km,” the state government said in a release.

Having identified irrigation as a priority area, Mr Rao entrusted the responsibility of completing the project to Mr Nageswara Rao and irrigation minister T Harish Rao, it said.

The project works have progressed expeditiously and the private firm that undertook the construction succeeded in completing it with the cooperation of government.

“Normally for any lift irrigation scheme, it will take two years to complete civil, mechanical electrical, laying of pipelines etc. But due to the coordinated efforts by irrigation, revenue, power departments and the working agency, these works on this project were completed at a fast pace,” the government statement said.