Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao decides to overhaul irrigation department to boost efficiency

The CM also performed puja at Triveni Sangamama at Kaleshwara Swamy temple.

KARIMNAGAR/HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, on Thursday decided that Irrigation Department needs a makeover, after an aerial inspection of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, paying obeisance to Godavari river and performing puja at Kaleshwaram Muktheswara Swamy temple.

The CM also performed puja at Triveni Sangamama at Kaleshwara Swamy temple. He then reached Medigadda Reservoir, which has been named Lakshmi Reservoir and surveyed the works. He had an aerial view of Lakshmi Barrage and dropped coins into Godavari river in fulfilment of his vows made during the days of the Telangana movement. Watching the vast expanse of water, a visibly happy Chandrasekhar Rao, instructed engineers-in-chief C Muralidhar Rao, engineering officials N Venkateswarlu and OSD Sridhar Deshpande to ensure that floodwater during the ensuing monsoon should be lifted from the Lakshmi Barrage. He explained to Irrigation Principal Secretary Rajat Kumar the government’s priorities in the irrigation sector. The Chief Minister said that it was the responsibility of the engineers to ensure that water from the projects should be lifted from time to time for filling the barrages.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao directed the officials to strengthen the engineering network and if necessary, use a wireless network -- like the one the police have -- for better coordination for releasing water in time.

The Chief Minister said the entire official team of Kaleshwaram should have the knowledge of which motor was working, which pump was lifting water and for how long and how much, he said. After his inspection of KLIS, the Chief Minister, at a review meeting with officials in Karimnagar, felt that the department should be reorganised to make it work efficiently. He explained that it would be prudent to bring all irrigation engineering sections under one roof to enable the department for better coordination.

The Chief Minister desired that all vacancies in the department should be filled by June last week. This was necessary as 530 tmcft water should be lifted from Godavari to fill all tanks. He wanted all irrigation canals repaired before the end of summer. Intent on using the KLIS to trigger tourism, the CM wanted the officials of Irrigation Department to prepare plans accordingly.

He wanted to develop tourism circuit in the entire stretch of Kaleshwaram Project, which is in an area of about 850 acres. The Chief Minister also wanted the construction of about 160 check dams in the erstwhile Karimnagar district by June with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, according to Health Minister Etala Rajender, who briefed the media about the decisions taken at the review meeting.

The Chief Minister disclosed that a new collectorate would come up at the place where the existing one stands for Karimnagar.

He asked Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to speed up the process of sanctioning the new collectorate. In Karimnagar, the River Front development would be taken up at Manair Dam and work on Cable Stay Bridge would be expedited at the earliest.