Hyderabad, October 14: Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with Minister D Seethakka and elected representatives of the combined Warangal district, reviewed the progress of the J. Chokka Rao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme (JCRDLIS) and reiterated the Congress government’s commitment to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe.
He directed the Irrigation Department to remove all procedural hurdles, expedite pending works and ensure that irrigation benefits reach every farmer in the drought-prone areas of north Telangana.
Officials informed the minister that the Devadula scheme, conceived to lift 38.16 TMC of water from the Godavari River near Gangaram village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, is designed to irrigate 5.57 lakh acres in upland and semi-arid areas of Hanamkonda, Warangal, Karimnagar, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Jangaon, Yadadri, Suryapet and Siddipet districts. The project involves a total lift of 469 metres from an elevation of +71 metres to +540 metres and is being implemented in three phases that include major pump houses, tunnels, reservoirs, distribution systems and canal networks.
As per the latest progress report, the total irrigation potential created so far stands at 3.17 lakh acres out of the total planned 5.56 lakh acres. When combined with 58,028 acres irrigated through groundwater, the overall ayacut potential will reach 6.14 lakh acres upon completion. The State Government has so far incurred an expenditure of Rs. 14,269.63 crore against the revised project cost of Rs. 18,500 crore, leaving a balance of Rs. 4,230 crore required to complete the remaining works. Of the total amount spent, Rs. 11,667.85 crore accounts for civil works, Rs. 1,343.06 crore for land acquisition and Rs. 1,170.63 crore for hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical installations.
The physical progress report presented at the meeting showed that 1,663.10 km of earthwork excavation has been completed out of the planned 2,430.82 km, while 669.66 km of pipelines have been laid out of 702.62 km. Out of 16,113 planned structures, 8,510 have been finished, and 799.80 km of canal lining has been completed out of 1,202.14 km. Similarly, 39 out of 46 tanks and 18 out of 21 pump houses are operational. These figures reflect an overall progress ranging between 67 and 95 per cent across different components of the scheme.
Phase-I of the project has been commissioned to lift 5.18 TMC of water over 170 days each year and is already delivering irrigation benefits to an ayacut of 1.23 lakh acres. Phase-II, which aims to lift 7.25 TMC of water to serve another 1.93 lakh acres, is in an advanced stage of completion. Phase-III, involving a major lift of 25.75 TMC through the construction of new pump houses, tunnels and reservoirs, will cover 2.39 lakh acres and is being implemented under eight packages. Packages-I and II have been completed while the remaining are under execution.
Officials explained that the ayacut under the Devadula project and its linked canals is spread across multiple constituencies of the combined Warangal region. In Jangaon district, about 88,000 acres will be irrigated, including 51,000 acres in Raghunathpally and R.S. Ghanpur segments. The Gandiramaram Right Main Canal alone will cover around 5,600 acres in seven villages such as Thatikonda, Kothapally, Meedikonda, Raghavapur, Chagal, Ashwarapally and Govardhanagiri. In Hanamkonda and Warangal constituencies, the ayacut potential exceeds 1.1 lakh acres, while Mulugu, Bhupalpally and Jayashankar segments together account for over 1.2 lakh acres.
The remaining ayacut is distributed across Siddipet, Suryapet and Yadadri, ensuring that the project benefits both north and central Telangana.
The land acquisition report indicated that 32,079 acres have been acquired out of the required 34,386 acres, leaving a balance of only 2,307 acres to be secured, largely under Phase-III components. Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed officials to complete all pending land acquisition, lining, and mechanical works within the next financial year and to prioritise the commissioning of the remaining pump houses. He said all outstanding contractor payments must be cleared promptly to ensure uninterrupted progress. Reiterating the government’s resolve, the minister said that the Congress administration would ensure the Devadula project becomes fully operational within two years, providing dependable irrigation to nearly six lakh acres.
He added that the project’s completion would stabilise the existing ayacut, improve crop productivity, and enhance drinking-water availability in upland areas of north and central Telangana. “Every rupee spent must translate into water flowing into the fields,” he said, underscoring that the Congress government is committed to delivering on its promise of equitable irrigation development and sustainable water use across the State. (Maxim news)
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