HANAMKONDA: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday switched on the Phase-III pumping station of the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme (DLIS) at Devannapet village in Hanamkonda district, marking a key step in ensuring irrigation and drinking water supply across constituencies.
Accompanied by Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, he later visited the Dharmasagar Reservoir and reiterated the Congress government’s commitment to completing all three phases of DLIS. He said the successful commissioning of the Phase-III pumping station would help protect standing crops, secure the ayacut and meet drinking water needs in Telangana. He added that he and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had recently met Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in Delhi to seek Central assistance for completing the remaining works. He blamed the previous BRS government for incomplete documentation, which had delayed approvals and execution, saying it had neglected the project and farmers.
The Devannapet Pump House, a critical part of Phase III, has a depth of 144.50 metres and an outer diameter of 25.50 metres. It is equipped with three 31 MW synchronous motors operating at 11 KV and 1,740 Amps. Each vertical Francis-type pump discharges 16.64 cumecs (584 cusecs), enabling a total discharge of 49.92 cumecs (1,752 cusecs). Water is lifted from the Godavari River via the Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage, with 1 TMC routed through Phase-III from Ramappa Tank, in addition to the 1 TMC already supplied to Dharmasagar through earlier phases.
The Dharmasagar Reservoir now serves an ayacut of 5,22,522 acres. Of this, 1,76,493 acres fall under its direct command. Beyond Dharmasagar, 3,46,029 acres are fed via Bommakur, Tapaspally, Gandiramaram and Ashwaraopally reservoirs.
Under Phase-III, 7.5 Mcft/day of drinking water will be supplied to Warangal city and 0.40 Mcft/day to Jangaon Municipality for 130 days.
The ministers said Phase-III would safeguard a stressed ayacut of 9,820 acres in Cheriyal, Komuravelli, Bachannapet, Gundala and Devaruppula mandals, where farmers had faced severe water shortages.