PARVATHIPURAM-MANYAM: The inordinate delay in the land acquisition for Thotapalli distributary canals is raising doubts over the irrigated water for an ayacut of at least 8,500 acres in Parvathipuram-Manyam district.
The officials have acquired only 0.28 acres of land for distributary canals out of 40 acres needed for the project during the past four years. Consequently, the cultivation of crops in 8,500 acres is in limbo.
Sardar Gauthu Lacchanna Thotapalli project is one of the major irrigation projects for Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts. The project was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in 2015.
At least 1, 31, 221 acres of ayacut would be irrigated under the right main canal, and another 64,000 acres would get water through the left main canal.
At least 333 villages in Parvathipuram-Manyam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts would get irrigation water from this project. Though Thotapalli project was built in Garugubilli Mandal under Parvathipuram-Manyam district, the majority of the land being cultivated in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
Out of the proposed 13,684 acres of new ayacut, only 5,238 acres are currently receiving water in Parvathipuram-Manyam district. To bring irrigation water to the remaining 8,446 hectares, distributary canals must be constructed. For this, about 40 acres of land has to be acquired.
The district administration started land acquisition in 2022 and acquired only 0.28 acres so far.
Earlier, special departments handled land acquisition, but those units were disbanded as the project reached its final stages.
As a result, revenue staff have failed to complete the land acquisition. The water resources department warns that if authorities do not complete land acquisition and hand over the sites, construction work may have to be halted. Deadlines have been repeatedly extended, leaving the completion date uncertain. The pace of land acquisition has been particularly slow since the formation of the Parvathipuram-Manyam district in April 2022.
Speaking to the TNIE, an officer of Thotapalli irrigation project said the department has submitted requests to the land acquisition authorities to hand over the land and explained the difficulties being faced to complete the project works. He hoped land acquisition will be completed soon.
