Thotapalem Lift irrigation scheme kept in cold storage for over 3 yrs

Srikakulam: Lift irrigation (LI) scheme at Thotapalem village in Etcherla mandal cries for the attention of government.

During the TDP regime, the then Energy Minister and TDP State president K Kala Venkata Rao assured in 2017 to start LI scheme at Thotapalem. Venkata Rao was an MLA from Etcherla Assembly constituency at that time.

Then officials prepared proposals for utilisation of water from Nagavali river for the LI scheme. The scheme will be useful to farmers of 18 villages belonging to the two mandals of Etcherla and Laveru in Etcherla constituency.

Uplands at Fareedpeta, Kesavaraopeta, Domam, Jarajam, Etcherla mandal center, Chilakapalem, A A Valasa, Allinagaram, SSR Puram, Ajjaram, Koyyam and Kuppili villages in Etcherla mandal and Peddaraopalli, Murapaka, Kesavarayunipalem, Lopenta, Laxmipuram and Budumuru villages in Laveru mandal would derive benefit under the proposed LI scheme.

But the LI scheme has been kept at the proposals stage for the last three years after it was announced by the then TDP government. But it failed to launch the project. Present YSRCP government is also not paying attention on the LI scheme as a result and it has been kept under cold storage for the last three years.

"We have been submitting representations for the launch of the LI scheme as it is useful to farmers for cultivation of crops in upland villages in the two mandals," said founder of an NGO Spandana, Panchireddy Krishna Rao.

"We are preparing a list of the villages which can be covered under the LI scheme and the ayacut. A letter has been forwarded to the the Irrigation Department for its permission to use water from Nagavali river for the proposed LI scheme," said executive engineer (EE) for AP State Irrigation Development Corporation (APSIDC), M Laxmi Narayana speaking to The Hans India.