Revanth Reddy Directs Officials to Optimise Godavari Water Utilisation

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed irrigation department officials on Wednesday to ensure the optimum utilisation of Godavari river water by executing lift operations from the Yellampalli, Devadula, and Sitarama projects. Speaking during a comprehensive review of the irrigation department held at MCRHRDI in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister urged officials to address operational bottlenecks and strictly adhere to safety protocols.

At the meeting, Revanth Reddy noted that water was not currently being stored in the Sundilla, Annaram, and Medigadda barrages of the Kaleshwaram project in accordance with National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) recommendations. He instructed department officials to strictly follow all NDSA guidelines. Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy informed the Chief Minister that specific defects had been identified in the Medigadda and Sundilla barrages, following which Revanth Reddy directed officials to consult the NDSA immediately on the issue.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy also informed the gathering that water-lifting operations were actively being carried out using nine pumps at the Devadula project, describing the move as unprecedented. The Chief Minister asked officials to focus their efforts on resolving minor issues related to lift irrigation operations at both the Devadula and Sitarama projects.

The review meeting also covered the subject of pending compensation to farmers whose land had been acquired for various irrigation projects. Revanth Reddy directed officials to prepare an action plan for the immediate disbursement of these funds. He instructed both irrigation and revenue officials to conduct field visits and formulate a factual report detailing villages prone to submergence, as well as pending compensation and rehabilitation issues.

The Chief Minister emphasized that compensation should be paid immediately in villages facing an immediate impact, noting that completing this process would pave the way for filling the Baswapur and Gouravelli projects with water. Furthermore, Revanth Reddy directed officials to conduct a comprehensive study on increasing the capacity of the Gattu and Gudemdoddi lift irrigation schemes and to appoint a consultant for the Gudemdoddi pumped-storage project.

Key officials present at the meeting included CMO Principal Secretary V. Seshadri, CMO Secretary Manicka Raj, Irrigation Secretary E. Sridhar, and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Commissioner Shiva Kumar Naidu.