MAHBUBNAGAR:Major irrigation projects in the district are going on at a snail’s pace due to lack of coordination between various government departments.
The works on four major irrigation projects viz. Bheema, Nettampad, Kalwakurthy and Koilsagar, in the district, have been hampered due to lack of coordination between various departments such as revenue, engineering and railways.
Though the Telangana state government has categorically approved to release Rs 500 crore, completing all the pending works on these projects in the district, going by the present pace of works, it looks difficult to even reach at least 10 per cent of its set target by end of this year.
In erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh, the then Congress government had initiated four major irrigation projects in Mahabubnagar district with an aim to create a total irrigation potential of 8 lakh acres by end of 2016, but it could not complete these projects within the stipulated time.
Soon after the formation of Telangana State, the TRS government had taken up these projects on priority and wanted to complete them one year ahead by end of 2015 and set the target to provide water to irrigate 7.93 lakh acres. But the works on these projects have been left pending for a long time now and it may not be even possible for the government to complete at least 80,000 acres by this year end.
Particularly, the railway over bridges at all canal crossings in the district is left pending and it looks there is no proper coordination between the revenue, engineering and the railways department to get the clearances for these projects. It is ironic, how such big projects are taken up without even taking the clearances from the railways despite knowing the canals will cross the railway lines.
For instance, in Bhima lift-2 major irrigation project, under Ramanpad reservoir stage-1 package, the main canal heading to Tirumaliahpally pump house is left pending due to non completion of railway crossing over bridge. Because of this, the water from the canal is diverted to other reservoirs of Sankarasamudram, Yenukunta and Rangasamudram reservoirs.
In fact under this package, the government has a target of creating 26,000 acres of ayacut in the district. Overall there are about five major railway lines crossing the district and about eight railway crossing are to be constructed over these canals, but so far only three have been taken up and even these works are going on a slower pace due to lack of coordination from the railways, revenue and engineering departments.
Earlier, the State government had deposited Rs 4.10 crore out of Rs 5.88 crore for railway crossings but still these works are left pending due to lack of coordination. According to sources in the irrigation department, for the year 2015-16, Rs 1274 crore are required for completing the pending works of the major irrigation projects in the district; among this the State has released Rs 661 crore and is set to release Rs 500 more to complete them on time.