HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday chaired a high-level review meeting at Jala Soudha with Cabinet colleagues from Khammam district — Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao — to strategise the swift completion of the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP) and Sitamma Sagar Multi-Purpose Project (SSMPP), despite prevailing legal hurdles.
The minister reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to fast-tracking both projects and issued directions to officials. Former five-time MLA from Yellandu, Gummadi Narsaiah, was specially invited to the meeting to highlight local concerns.
Addressing a joint press conference later in the day, Uttam stated that the projects aim to provide irrigation water to 7.8 lakh acres. He criticised the previous BRS regime for failing to allocate water to the projects, noting that the Congress government had successfully secured an allocation of 67 tmcft. He also acknowledged that work on the SSMPP had been halted due to environmental violations, which led to a penalty imposed by the Centre.
During the meeting, Uttam announced that he would personally hold monthly review sessions to monitor the pace of work. Engineers provided a detailed status update, reporting that 97% of the SRLIP’s main canal works were completed, and three of the four major pump houses had already undergone successful wet runs.
The fourth pump house is currently under execution and nearing completion. Progress continues on the Palair Link Canal, Sathupalli Trunk Canal, and Enkoor Link Canal, though bottlenecks remain, particularly in land acquisition, forest clearances, and construction near tunnel areas.
Expressing dissatisfaction with administrative delays, Uttam said, “This is the working season. Despite constraints, you must move forward with full speed. We cannot afford further delays.” He directed officials to expedite land acquisition across all segments and resolve compensatory afforestation issues without delay. Senior officials were instructed to be physically present on-site daily to oversee land and forest clearance issues.
“I want a complete picture — top to bottom — on land acquisition. Give me the figures, the process, and the plan, and I will take it forward,” he added. He also instructed engineering teams to keep a close watch on tunnel and canal works near Palair and provide regular briefings on cost, progress, and acquisition hurdles.