Rs 1,300 Cr for Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme

HYDERABAD: Even as some of the farmers belonging to the Godavari and Krishna deltas are expressing apprehensions over the state government's motive behind its proposal to divert water from River Godavari to River Krishna through the Indira Sagar Polavaram Project Right Main Canal (ISRMC) for domestic and industrial use by undertaking Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, the state government accorded administrative sanction for release of `1,300 crore to carry out the works of this new scheme.

'As the completion of head works of the Polavaram Irrigation Project will take about four years, it is proposed to divert the waters of Godavari to River Krishna by lifting them with the help of 30 vertical turbine pumps, whose discharging capacity is 8 cusecs each (280 cusecs),' the state government said.

According to the government, the waters will be pumped at Pattiseema into ISRMC at an estimated cost of `1,300 crore.

This lift arrangement also provides partial irrigation benefits to the agricultural lands along the Right Main Canal. In the GO MS No 1, issued with the concurrence of the finance department, the state government said that it had taken this decision to bring flood waters of Godavari to Krishna on high priority so that the lift irrigation scheme becomes operational as early as possible in order to utilise flood waters in the next flood season.

According to the GO, the Engineer-in-Chief (ENC), ISPP, Dowlaiswaram, had reported that the Polavaram Project was contemplated several decades ago to provide irrigation facilities to 7.20 lakh acres by gravity through ISRMC & ISLMC besides other benefits.

The Indira sagar Right Main canal (ISRMC) was contemplated to create an irrigation potential of 1,29,259 hectares (3.20 lakh acres) in West Godavari (2.58 lakh) and Krishna districts (0.62 lakh), besides diverting 80 tmcft of Godavari water to River Krishna.

'However, the ENC has also submitted cost estimate on the proposal for diversion of about 80 tmcft of water for domestic and industrial use under the Right Main Canal by lifting waters from Godavari River until the Polavaram Project works are completed, as part of inter linking of rivers which is a part of the Polavaram Project,' the GO stated.

The government said, as the proposed pumping at Pattiseema would be a part of the Polavaram Project to achieve early benefits by way of diversion of Godavari waters to Krishna, the said proposal is well within the framework of Krishna and Godavari Tribunal Awards. Tenders will be invited to take up these works under EPC mode.

'A High Power Committee headed by the Chief Secretary will be competent to take all decisions for timely completion of work which may include coordination with the district administration and forest department for speedy LA and R&R and forest clearance to allow unhindered execution of the work,' Aditya Nath Das, Principal Secretary to the government (Irrigation) stated in the GO. Chandrababu Naidu.