HYDERABAD: Central Water Commission (CWC) officials will visit the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS) in three batches to get exposure to the construction techniques. CWC chairman SK Joshi issued orders, allowing field visits by officials.
According to the order, the first batch 12 officials will visit the project on May 24 and 25. Another batch of 12 officials will visit the project on June 5 and 6, and the third batch of another 12 officials on June 19 and 20. Earlier, the CWC chairman had visited the project sites and lauded the irrigation department for taking up such a massive irrigation project. He even termed KLIS as an engineering marvel. Such a large number of officials of CWC visiting a particular project for exposure is considered a privilege by the state government.
At a review meeting on the progress of Kaleshwaram at Jala Soudha here on Wednesday, irrigation minister T Harish Rao directed the officials to provide irrigation water to 1.15 lakh acres by November-December this year under Package-28 of Metpally canal. Water will be supplied to 13,000 acres under Package-27. Harish Rao said he would see the works under the two packages soon and sanctioned an additional Rs 20 crore for completion of the two packages. Rao also reviewed the progress of works of Packages 20 and 21 taken up in Nizamabad district.
Meanwhile, the minister announced that the fifth phase of Mission Kakatiya would begin in the next financial year. He presented media awards for 2017 for best reporting on Mission Kakatiya works to journalists at Jala Soudha. Claiming that Mission Kakatiya works were being carried out with missionary zeal, he said many marginal farmers working as “adda labour” in Hyderabad were returning to their native villages after the restoration of tanks under Mission Kakatiya.He said that 12 lakh acre ayacut was stabilised in the state in the three phases of Mission Kakatiya. The minister gave appointment letters to 298 engineers.