Hyderabad's irrigation minister, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, has strongly affirmed the state government's dedication to finishing the ambitious Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) with its originally sanctioned water allocation of 90 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft). This volume is deemed crucial for irrigating approximately 12 lakh acres of agricultural land in the state's drought-prone regions.
Allegations of False Propaganda and Project Neglect
During an informal interaction with journalists on the assembly premises, Minister Reddy dismissed accusations that the current Congress administration had altered the project's approved design. He countered by alleging that the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, led by K Chandrashekar Rao, engaged in false propaganda regarding the water allocation.
Reddy presented a Government Order (GO) issued by the BRS regime on August 18, 2022, as evidence. This GO itself proposed allocating the full 90 tmcft for PRLIS. The plan outlined sourcing 45 tmcft from savings in minor irrigation schemes and another 45 tmcft from Telangana's share resulting from Andhra Pradesh's diversion of Godavari river water.
"The BRS started the PRLIS project and sought 90 tmcft in its own submissions to the Centre. The Congress government is following the same without any changes," stated Reddy. He accused the KCR government of halting work on critical project links like Narlapur to Edula and failing to initiate construction on distributary channels and ayacut canals.
Focus on Kaleshwaram Over Other Projects
The minister launched a sharp critique against the BRS's priorities during its decade-long rule. He alleged that the previous administration disproportionately focused on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, pouring over Rs 1 lakh crore into it, while only allocating about Rs 27,000 crore to PRLIS over ten years. This disparity, he claimed, led to minimal progress on the Palamuru scheme.
Reddy highlighted that the PRLIS, with the potential to irrigate over 12.3 lakh acres in districts like Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Vikarabad, Narayanpet, and parts of Nalgonda and Khammam, was severely neglected. He extended his criticism to several other pending irrigation projects that he claimed were ignored despite the BRS's assertion of spending around Rs 1.83 lakh crore on the irrigation sector.
The list of neglected projects, according to the minister, includes:
- SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal): Could be completed with an additional Rs 2,000 crore.
- Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme: Requires just Rs 900 crore more.
- Koilsagar, Nettempadu, Bheema, and Dindi lift irrigation schemes.
Escalating Costs and Future Projections
Providing a detailed financial breakdown, Uttam Kumar Reddy revealed that the KCR government launched PRLIS with an initial estimate of Rs 35,000 crore. However, after a delay of seven years in submitting the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the cost had ballooned to Rs 55,000 crore.
He pointed out a critical omission in this revised estimate. The Rs 55,000 crore figure did not encompass the complete expenses for acquiring 30,000 acres of land needed for ayacut canals, the full cost of constructing those canals, or comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) works. Factoring in current market prices, the minister warned that the total final cost of PRLIS is likely to exceed Rs 70,000 crore.
The minister's statements underscore the current government's pledge to revive and complete the vital irrigation project while placing the blame for delays and cost overruns squarely on the previous administration.
