Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterates 90 TMC allocation for Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme

Hyderabad: Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy reaffirmed that the Congress government would complete the Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme with its original 90 TMC water allocation, rejecting claims of any dilution or design change.

During an interaction with media persons on Monday, the Minister said the government was strictly implementing the Government Order issued on August 18, 2022, by the previous BRS administration. That order proposed a total allocation of 90 TMC for the project.

He explained that the allocation comprised 45 TMC from savings in minor irrigation schemes and another 45 TMC from Telangana’s share arising from Andhra Pradesh’s diversion of Godavari waters. According to him, the present government had not altered any component of the proposal.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the BRS government itself had sought 90 TMC in submissions made to the Centre. Therefore, he said, allegations of deviation lacked any factual basis.

He accused the opposition BRS of deliberately spreading misinformation about the Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme. He said such claims aimed to mislead farmers and create confusion about the project’s scope.

The Minister said the previous government stalled works on critical links, including the Narlapur–Edula stretch. He added that authorities did not take up distributary and ayacut canal works.

Despite these delays, the project has the potential to irrigate over 12.3 lakh acres. The coverage includes drought-prone areas of the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, now comprising Nagarkurnool and surrounding regions.

The scheme also extends to Rangareddy, Vikarabad, Narayanpet, and parts of Nalgonda and Khammam districts. Uttam Kumar Reddy said farmers in these regions suffered due to prolonged neglect.

Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme costs escalated under previous regime

The Minister said the BRS government began the Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme with an estimated cost of Rs 35,000 crore. However, he said the same government escalated the estimate to Rs 55,000 crore.

He said authorities submitted the Detailed Project Report to the Central Water Commission after a delay of seven years. According to him, the DPR did not include the full cost of land acquisition.

The project requires nearly 30,000 acres for ayacut canals. However, the DPR excluded the complete cost of canal works and rehabilitation and resettlement.

As a result, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the total project cost was now likely to exceed Rs 70,000 crore at current prices. He blamed poor planning and delayed clearances for the escalation.

He said the BRS government spent Rs 27,000 crore over 10 years. Despite this expenditure, he said, the project failed to supply water to even a single acre.

In contrast, the Congress government spent Rs 7,000 crore in the last two years. During this period, officials installed 11 pumps, compared to just one earlier.

The government also completed 67 lakh cubic metres of earthwork. In addition, teams executed seven lakh cubic metres of concrete work and laid nine kilometres of pressure mains.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the previous regime discriminated against the Palamuru region. He said authorities planned to reduce the project’s daily lifting capacity from 2 TMC to 1 TMC.

At the same time, he said the government increased the Kaleshwaram project’s capacity from 2 TMC to 3 TMC. According to him, this reflected skewed priorities.

He further alleged that senior engineers received verbal instructions in 2021 to slow down Palamuru-Rangareddy works due to a funds crunch. He said the project did not receive statutory clearances before the BRS government left office.

These included approvals from the Central Water Commission, hydrology authorities, and environmental agencies. Uttam Kumar Reddy also said the public hearing scheduled in 2019 faced a deliberate two-year delay.

He added that the BRS government accepted limits on Krishna water utilisation before the Apex Council and in Supreme Court proceedings related to the project.

“The BRS took 10 years and failed to complete the project. We will finish it and deliver water to Palamuru,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.