Hyderabad, Oct 14 (NationPress) The Irrigation Minister of Telangana, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, reaffirmed the Congress government’s pledge to finalize the Devadula project across the Godavari River within the set timeline and ensure its complete functionality within two years.

Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring that the project becomes fully operational in the next two years, offering reliable irrigation to nearly 600,000 acres.

He instructed the Irrigation Department to eliminate any procedural obstacles, accelerate outstanding work, and guarantee that all irrigation advantages benefit farmers in the drought-affected regions of north Telangana.

The Irrigation Minister, accompanied by Panchayat Raj Minister D Seethakka and local representatives from the combined Warangal district, evaluated the ongoing progress of the J. Chokka Rao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme (JCRDLIS).

Officials briefed the minister that the Devadula scheme, devised to lift 38.16 TMC of water from the Godavari River near Gangaram village in the Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, is intended to irrigate 5.57 lakh acres in the upland and semi-arid regions of Hanamkonda, Warangal, Karimnagar, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Jangaon, Yadadri, Suryapet, and Siddipet districts.

The project encompasses a total lift of 469 metres from an elevation of 71 metres to 540 metres and is being executed in three phases that incorporate major pump houses, tunnels, reservoirs, distribution systems, and canal networks.

According to the latest progress report, the total irrigation potential created to date stands at 3.17 lakh acres out of the planned 5.56 lakh acres. When combined with 58,028 acres irrigated through groundwater, the total ayacut potential will reach 6.14 lakh acres upon completion.

The state government has so far spent Rs 14,269.63 crore against the revised project cost of Rs 18,500 crore, leaving Rs 4,230 crore still needed to finalize the remaining works.

The physical progress report displayed at the meeting indicated that 39 out of 46 tanks and 18 out of 21 pump houses are operational, showcasing an overall progress of between 67 and 95 percent across various components of the scheme.

Phase I of the project has been activated to lift 5.18 TMC of water for 170 days each year and is already providing irrigation benefits to an ayacut of 1.23 lakh acres. Phase II, aiming to lift 7.25 TMC of water for another 1.93 lakh acres, is nearing completion. Phase III, involving a significant lift of 25.75 TMC through the construction of new pump houses, tunnels, and reservoirs, will serve 2.39 lakh acres and is being carried out in eight packages. Packages I and II are complete, while the remaining ones are under progress.

The land acquisition report indicated that 32,079 acres have been acquired out of the required 34,386 acres, leaving only 2,307 acres to be secured, primarily under Phase III components.

Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to complete all pending land acquisition, lining, and mechanical tasks within the following financial year and prioritize the commissioning of the remaining pump houses. He insisted that all outstanding contractor payments must be settled promptly to ensure constant progress.