Uttam Kumar Reddy Orders Faster Devadula Works, Releases Rs 146 Crore; Project Targeted for Completion by December 2027

Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday directed officials to speed up the execution of the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme, ordered that all Devadula pumps operate round the clock, and announced the release of Rs 146 crore for the project. During a high-level review with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, the Minister said the project would be completed by December 2027 and reiterated that the government would fast-track funds, land acquisition, and statutory clearances. Once completed, the project is expected to irrigate nearly 5.6 lakh acres.

Group of Ministers Reviews Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme

The review was conducted by:

• N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister
• Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Deputy Chief Minister
• Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Revenue and Housing Minister
• Senior engineers and government officials

The review was part of the government’s follow-up exercise to accelerate Phase-III works of the prestigious irrigation project.

All Devadula Pumps to Run Round the Clock

With Telangana facing a continued rainfall deficiency, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to:

• Operate all Devadula pumping units round the clock
• Fill all 22 reservoirs under the project to their gross storage capacity
• Maximise pumping whenever river conditions permit

The Minister instructed engineers to utilise the present inflows into the Godavari River to ensure adequate drinking and irrigation water across the command area.

Current Water Inflows and Pumping Capacity

According to the Minister:

• Current inflows into the Godavari River are around 20,000 cusecs
• Seven pumping units are currently operational
• Water is being supplied for drinking and irrigation purposes

He said that when all 10 pumping units are operational:

• The project can lift about 0.23 TMC of water every day
• One TMC of water can be transferred in approximately four-and-a-half days

Officials were instructed to maximise pumping to maintain adequate reservoir storage during the rainfall deficit.

Project to Be Completed by December 2027

Reviewing the intake works on the Godavari River, high-capacity pump houses, rising mains, balancing reservoirs, and gravity canal network, Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated the government’s commitment to complete the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme by December 2027.

He said the project would deliver its full benefits only after the completion of all three phases and assured farmers that irrigation would be extended to the entire command area without delay.

The Minister directed engineers and contractors to:

• Prepare package-wise completion schedules
• Conduct strict monthly progress reviews
• Closely monitor every package
• Immediately resolve execution bottlenecks

Funds, Land Acquisition and Clearances to Be Fast-Tracked

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government is expediting:

• Land acquisition
• Statutory approvals
• Pending clearances

He added that additional manpower and machinery are being deployed at work sites to accelerate construction.

The Minister assured that funds would not be a constraint and reiterated the government’s commitment to completing the project within the scheduled timeframe.

Districts to Benefit from Devadula Project

The Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme is designed to provide drinking water to numerous villages and stabilise irrigation in:

• Mulugu
• Jayashankar Bhupalpally
• Hanamkonda
• Warangal
• Jangaon
• Siddipet
• Karimnagar
• Yadadri Bhuvanagiri
• Suryapet

Upon completion of all three phases, the project is expected to irrigate nearly 5.6 lakh acres.

The total estimated cost of the project is approximately Rs 18,400 crore.

Kaleshwaram Barrages to Follow NDSA Recommendations

Referring to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, Uttam Kumar Reddy said rehabilitation works on the three barrages in a precarious condition would begin after approval of the final rehabilitation designs.

He said the Telangana Government would strictly follow the recommendations of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) regarding the operation of:

• Medigadda Barrage
• Annaram Barrage
• Sundilla Barrage

He added that no decision would be taken that compromises public safety.

Ministers Assure Priority for Devadula Project

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the Devadula project is among the government’s highest priorities and assured that it would continue to receive priority in the release of funds.

Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said land acquisition for the project has been placed on the fast track and all departments are working in coordination for timely completion.

Project Details and Current Progress

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme is being implemented in three phases through 16 packages.

Irrigation Coverage

• Phase-I: 1.23 lakh acres
• Phase-II: 1.93 lakh acres
• Phase-III: 2.39 lakh acres

Project Infrastructure

• 642 km of pipelines
• 57.16 km of tunnels
• 306 km of main canals
• 2,185 km distributary network

The Minister highlighted that the project includes Asia’s longest 49-km D-shaped irrigation tunnel.

He added that arrangements are being made to meet the project’s 495.55 MW power requirement and that the proposed integration with the Sammakka Barrage would ensure near year-round water availability.

Physical Progress of the Project

The Minister said the project has achieved 87.70% physical progress.

He stated that most major infrastructure, including:

• Pump houses
• Pipelines
• Tunnel excavation

has already been completed.

However, the following works continue to delay full utilisation of the project:

• Canal lining
• Distributary network works
• Completion of a few key structures
• Pending land acquisition

Under Phase-I:

• Package-45 has been completed fully.
• Package-46 has reached 96.86% completion.

The review meeting was also attended by:

• Ramesh Babu, Engineer-in-Chief (General)
• Srinivas, Joint Secretary, Irrigation Department
• Other senior engineers and officials

Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has directed that all Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme pumps operate round the clock, announced the release of Rs 146 crore, and set December 2027 as the deadline for completing the project. The government will fast-track funds, land acquisition, and statutory clearances, while the project is expected to irrigate nearly 5.6 lakh acres upon completion. The Minister also reiterated that Telangana will follow National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) recommendations for the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages.

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