Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Gouravelli Irrigation Project would be fast-tracked by resolving environmental clearances and legal hurdles on priority.
He expressed confidence that authorities would secure the required environmental approvals soon. In addition, he asserted that pending administrative and legal issues would be cleared without delay. The Minister made these remarks during a high-level review meeting held at the Secretariat on Sunday.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar attended the meeting. During the review, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to complete land acquisition under a strict timeline. He assured farmers that the government would provide fair compensation and ensure speedy payments. Moreover, he warned that there would be “zero excuses” in meeting the June 2 deadline set by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
The Gouravelli Irrigation Project forms part of the Indiramma Flood Flow Canal. Initially, authorities planned the project with a capacity of 1.41 TMC in Siddipet district to irrigate 1.06 lakh acres. Later, they enhanced the capacity to 8.23 TMC to expand irrigation benefits.
Supreme Court hearing adds urgency to Gouravelli Irrigation Project
Referring to a Supreme Court case scheduled for hearing in two days, the Minister instructed the Telangana Advocate General to prepare a comprehensive legal strategy. He said the Gouravelli Irrigation Project had remained stalled for years due to multiple bottlenecks. However, he expressed hope that coordinated efforts would now move the project towards completion.
Furthermore, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed government advisor (Irrigation) Adityanath Das to resolve pending issues at the departmental level. He also asked the Collectors of Karimnagar, Jangaon and Siddipet to prioritise land acquisition work.
The Minister noted that rapid urbanisation had increased land values in certain areas. Therefore, he called for swift administrative action to prevent further escalation of costs and delays.
