HYDERABAD: With the primary objective of storing water and generating hydel power, the State government plans to build a barrage across Godavari at Dummugudem. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao made an announcement to this effect during a review meeting on irrigation projects at Pragathi Bhavan on Thursday
During the meeting, the chief minister directed the officials to make arrangements to lift 3 tmcft water from Kaleshwaram to Mid Manair Dam. He also instructed the officials to prepare the estimates and call for tenders at the earliest for these two works.
The chief minister also directed the officials to invite tenders to divert one more tmc water to Mallannasagar from Kaleshwaram and also for the balance works at Sitarama Lift Irrigation project.
Rao also directed the officials to complete the Kanthanapally barrage works by the end of March 2020.
The chief minister said that plenty of water is available in Godavari at Dummugudem point and water flows would be there for 150 days in the year.
With these conducive conditions, a barrage could be constructed on Godavari with a storage capacity of 37 tmcft. The barrage would be designed to generate 320 MW hydel power, Rao said.
As of now, 2 tmc of water is being lifted from Kaleshwaram to Mid Manair. From the next year onwards, 3 tmcft water would be lifted from Kaleshwaram. From Mid-Manair, 2 tmc water would be lifted to Mallannasagar.
Rao also directed the officials to invite tenders for these two works by the end of this month. According to a preliminary estimate, it would cost around Rs 13,500 crore to Rs 14,000 crore for the construction of Dummugudem barrage and for lifting 3 tmc water from Kaleshwaram. The works would be placed before the next Cabinet meeting for the approval.
Six zones
The chief minister suggested the officials to divide irrigation into six to seven zones. For every zone, one engineer-in-chief would be appointed as in-charge.
He also suggested the officials to convene a state-level irrigation meet and prepare a comprehensive irrigation policy. The inventory consisting tanks, reservoirs and projects should also be prepared, Rao said.
The operating manuals for projects, pump houses, lifts, canals and tanks should also be prepared in the state-level meeting, Rao told the officials. The chief minister assured that sufficient funds would be allocated for the irrigation sector in the Budget.
Godavari water to Krishna
The chief minister suggested the officials to diver Godavari water to Krishna when there was no water in Krishna river. If there were no inflows in Krishna river for the ayacut under Nagarjuna Sagar Project, the alternative plan should be prepared, Rao said.
As Mid Maniar would receive 3 tmc water from Kaleshwaram, plenty of water would be available there. So, Kaleshwaram water would be diverted to Basvapur reservoir.
From there water would be diverted to Shamirpet Vagu, Musi river and Asifnagar. Later, water would be diverted to Panagal Vagu by bypassing Udayasamudram. From there water would be dropped to Pedda Devulapalli reservoir, an online reservoir of NSP. When there was no water in Krishna, the Godavari water would be diverted to NSP ayacut, as per this plan, he said, while instructing the officials to visit these areas to get an idea of their work.
The chief minister also wanted the officials to construct buildings at Mallannasagar in Godavari basin and at Palamuru in Krishna basin for holding the meetings of the officials.