HYDERABAD: Ushering in major reforms in the century-old Irrigation Department, which would henceforth be called the Telangana Water Resources Department (WRD), Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday decided that it would have 19 territorial jurisdictions, instead of 13, to serve farmers’ needs better.
The makeover is expected to improve the department’s efficiency in the wake of a total metamorphosis that the sector has undergone following significant augmentation of water resources.Rao, during a review meeting with officials, favoured the changes in the department’s structure as the State is now providing irrigation facility to over one crore acres. At the time of the State’s formation in 2014, irrigation was available only for 35 lakh acres. “For this kharif (Vanakalam), the government is supplying water to one crore acres,” he said.
He felt that there should be a sea change in the WRD’s functioning. All its wings would work under one Chief Engineer, ensuring better coordination. It has been decided to create Adilabad, Mancherial, Jagtial, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Ramagundam, Warangal, Mulugu, Khammam, Kothagudem, Gajwel, Sangareddy, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool and Hyderabad territorial jurisdictions, with each headed by one Chief Engineer.
The WRD, unlike in the past when it was divided into many wings, would work under one umbrella. All projects, tanks, Irrigation Development Corporation’s lifts, reservoirs, barrages, pump houses, canals and sub-stations would come under the territorial jurisdiction. Rao also decided to name the Ghanpur Anicut in Medak district as Vana Durga project. He instructed the officials to restore the canals under the Pakala project.
Narasampet MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy informed him that by reviving the Kakatiya dynasty canals, 30,000 acres of ayucut could be stabilised. Rao said reviving the canals would mean protecting Telangana’s heritage. He told the officials to prepare estimates for this.