Implementing Measures to Strengthen Nagarjuna Sagar Dam: Uttam

Hyderabad: Irrigation and & Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has announced that the Telangana Government was implementing measures to strengthen the Nagarjuna Sagar dam while expanding its ayacut.

He made the announcement during a review meeting on the Nagarjuna Sagar project held at Jala Soudha on Tuesday. He instructed officials to prioritise the repair works of the NSP and its canal network. He also urged the Nalgonda District Collector to expedite land acquisition for various irrigation projects in the district. Stressing the importance of timely completion, the minister stated that land acquisition must not hinder project progress and should be treated as a top priority.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also highlighted that there are approximately 334 lift irrigation schemes, either fully operational or partially functional, with a combined ayacut of 469,138 acres. He directed officials to prioritise the restoration of all these projects to their full capacity, with a special focus on small lift irrigation schemes in terms of fund allocation and implementation. The minister emphasised that, while major irrigation schemes require significant capital investment and recurring costs, smaller schemes demand comparatively lower funds and maintenance costs while offering a better cost-benefit ratio. He stressed that small schemes are more effective in serving farmers and instructed officials to ensure they are fully functional by prioritising necessary repairs and related works to achieve the ayacut of 469,138 acres.

The meeting was attended by former minister K. Jana Reddy, Nalgonda MP K. Raghuveer Reddy, MLA Jayaveer Reddy, Principal Secretary of the Irrigation Department Rahul Bojja, Special Secretary Prashant Jeevan Patil, R&R Commissioner Vinay Krishan Reddy, ENC Anil, ENC (O&M) Vijay Bhaskar Reddy, Advisor Penta Reddy, Deputy ENC K Srinivas, Nalgonda CE Ajay Kumar, SE K Sridhar and other officials.

The minister directed officials to expedite the works on the Nellikal Lift Irrigation Scheme, which sources water from the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir. The scheme, estimated at Rs 664.80 crore, aims to provide irrigation to approximately 24,624 acres. Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed officials to divide the project into two phases and ensure the completion of Phase-I to irrigate 7,600 acres by the upcoming Kharif season. It was also decided to proceed with the construction of a link canal between the High Level Canal and the Low Level Canal, passing through tanks such as Medawarm, Pothunur, Sangaram, Peddavoora, and Thungathurthy in Nalgonda district. The project, spanning 0–15,000 km and estimated to cost Rs 62.26 crore, has acquired 43.31 acres of the required 65.02 acres of land. The minister directed officials to issue tenders and ensure the timely completion of the project.

The government will also undertake Cement Concrete (CC) lining for distributaries of the Low Level Canal under the AMR SLBC Project. Due to erosion, silt deposits, and vegetation growth, water is not reaching the tail-end areas effectively, causing breaches and waterlogging. To address these issues and improve the hydraulic efficiency of the canal, CC lining of 60 mm thickness will be applied to distributaries D1 to D27, covering a total canal length of 90.43 km at a cost of Rs 42.26 crore. The minister directed officials to secure approvals promptly to commence the work at the earliest.

The minister approved the construction of a check dam across Shasileru Vagu near Anumalvarigudem village to enhance water availability and instructed officials to prepare estimates for the repair and revival of 39 IDC lifts. Further, it was decided to engage IIT Roorkee to conduct a study on cavities in the Nagarjuna Sagar dam, and repair works will be taken up based on its recommendations.