NALGONDA: People are hopeful that the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project, initiated in 2007 to provide irrigation and drinking water to the erstwhile Nalgonda district through a tunnel from the backwater of the Srisailam project, will finally be completed under the newly formed Congress government.
The project, commenced during the tenure of Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was estimated to cost Rs 1,925 crore in 2007 with the aim to provide irrigation an drinking water to over 500 villages.
Despite the original deadline of December 2010, successive state governments extended it to 2014, 2017, 2020, and the latest extension to December 2023. In the span of 16 years, approximately Rs 2,500 crores were spent, but due to increased cost, the estimated project cost has now shot to Rs 4,776 crore.
Notably, key tunnel work has been halted since April due to technical faults in the tunnel boring machine, electricity charges, labour arrears, and other issues. Around 300 workers from states like Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir went on strike, eventually returning to their native places.
As of now, 33.5 km of the total 42 km tunnel work has been completed. A technical fault in the boring machine in April necessitated the procurement of bearings from Germany, but due to reported negligence on the part of authorities and the contractor, the issue remains unresolved.
Congress leaders allege that only Rs 500 crore funds were released during the BRS government.
Despite fund allocations in the annual budget, delays in release persist.The completion of the SLBC project is crucial, as it would facilitate the release of water into the Nakkalagandi project, resolving water problems in numerous villages in Nalgonda, Devarakonda, and Munugode constituencies.
People express confidence that the project will be completed under the leadership of Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who was a staunch advocate for the project in the past, as the minister, and N Uttam Kumar Reddy from the joint district as the irrigation minister.The officials concerned are preparing a detailed report on the project’s completion status, pending issues, payments, and estimated costs to submit to the state government.