HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday said that leakages were observed even in Annaram barrage on Friday and noted that the state government has requested the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) to visit the project. The NDSA team would visit the barrage in the next two days, he added. Seepage was observed at vent 35 DS of the Annaram barrage. He said that the government has decided not to store water in the Kaleshwaram project barrages till the NDSA submitted its report.
While tabling the white paper on irrigation and also giving a PowerPoint presentation on the damaged Medigadda barrage in the State Legislative Assembly, the minister squarely blamed the previous BRS government for the damages to the barrages that are part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). The same technical defects found in Medigadda plagued the Annaram project, which along with the Sundilla barrage was in danger, Uttam alleged and said that no temporary repairs would be taken up till the government receives the NDSA report.
The minister responded positively to the request made by MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi to convene an all-party meeting on irrigation. In his PowerPoint presentation, he explained the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Vigilance and NDSA reports on the Medigadda barrage. In the white paper, the minister explained that fresh works on irrigation projects could not be taken up as the state government had to clear a whopping Rs 10,455 crore pending bills to contractors. “In the next five years, the government has to pay Rs 77,369 crore principal and interest amounts on the loans taken by the BRS government for irrigation projects. The present government needs Rs 1,75,143 crore for completing the ongoing irrigation projects and also to repay the loan amounts. With this, the expenditure to provide irrigation water per acre would come to around Rs 3.4 lakh. This amount may further increase due to cost escalation in future,” he said.
Less ayacut
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that since the formation of Telangana in 2014, the spending on the irrigation sector was Rs 1.81 lakh crore. However, the new ayacut created was just 15.81 lakh acres, he noted. The minister reiterated that the government would not hand over irrigation projects to the Krishna River Management Board.
what irrigation white paper says
As per estimates, an irrigation facility for 127.58 lakh acres will be created once the ongoing projects are completed. The government needs Rs 97,774 cr to complete all the remaining projects and create 53.98 lakh acres of additional ayacut
The total loan repayment burden with interest in the next five years is Rs 77,369 cr. The total amount required to complete the remaining projects is Rs 1,75,143 cr. It costs Rs 3.4 lakh to provide an irrigation facility per acre
Rs 93,872 cr was spent on Kaleshwaram and only 98,590 acres are being irrigated
The government is ready to complete the ongoing projects. Priority is being given to creating more ayacut at lower cost
Neglected Krishna projects will be completed
budget session concludes
The Assembly was adjourned sine die on Saturday after an eight-day session