Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday laid the foundation stone for a Rs.35,200 crore major lift irrigation project.A day after the state cabinet approved Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project, he laid the foundation stone for the same at Karvena in Bhoothpur mandal of Mahabubnagar district.The project will irrigate 10 lakh acres in Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts and also supply drinking water to Hyderabad.It will use 70 TMC (thousand million cubic) feet water from Srisailam Dam across Krishna river for irrigation and 20 TMC feet water to meet the drinking water needs of the state capital.The project will provide water to irrigate seven lakh acres in Mahabubnagar district, 2.7 lakh acres in Ranga Reddy district and 30,000 acres in Nalgonda district.Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said he was happy to lay foundation stone for a project, which will end the woes of parched Mahabubnagar district. KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, said the project would liberate the district from drought and migration of farm labourers to other states and countries.
KCR said the dryland region suffered injustice and neglect in the undivided Andhra Pradesh as the rulers only made promises to build projects. "This is your government and it is my word that you will start getting water in two to two-and-half years," he said.The chief minister said the project would also be a boon for drought ridden Ranga Reddy district, fluoride affected Nalgonda district and will improve drinking water supply to twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.He claimed that redesigning of the project helped in bringing down the number of hamlets to be affected. People in only three hamlets will be displaced.
The chief minister announced that all affected families will be given alternate lands and houses will be constructed for them under two-bed room house scheme for poor. One person in every family will also be provided a job.KCR had told reporters after cabinet meeting on Wednesday night that Telangana need not inform Andhra Pradesh about Palamuru irrigation project. He said the project will use the water from the quota allotted to the state from Krishna river.