Round-table demands rethink on redesigning of irrigation projects

Round-table demands rethink on redesigning of irrigation projects
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A round-table conference organised by Left parties and people’s organisations has resolved to take up the issues of utilisation of Godavari-Krishna waters and demanded review of re-designing of irrigation projects by the Telangana State government.

Hyderabad: A round-table conference organised by Left parties and people’s organisations has resolved to take up the issues of utilisation of Godavari-Krishna waters and demanded review of re-designing of irrigation projects by the Telangana State government.

As part of the action plan the round table would submit its resolutions to the State Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and other senior officials of the department. This will be followed by organising district level round table conference for 10 days across the 31 districts of the State.

A State level meeting would be convened to further deliberate on the issues of water utilisation and redesigning of irrigation projects.

Later they would also hold district level meetings for 15 days, besides taking up awareness programmes by holding meetings at village level. A three-day Prachara Yatra would be taken out from Tummidihatti to Sundilla and it will conclude with a public meeting at Mancherial. Further, the round table has also decided to stage a dharna during the ensuing budget session of the State Assembly in Hyderabad to highlight the issues.

During the meeting representatives from left parties, prominent persons from different walks of life and people’s organisations deliberated on the existing irrigation and command area in the State prior to 2004 and efforts made to construct new major, medium and minor irrigation projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers in the State.

Financial burden on the newly formed state due to re-designing of irrigation projects including Pranahita-Chevella, Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, Kaleswaram, Nara yanapeta-Kodangal, Nakkalagandi-Dindi, Ichampalli irrigation projects also figured during the discussion.

The speakers expressed several doubts over the necessity of Mallannasagar reservoir with augmentation of capacity of 50 TMCs. Similarly, implementation of Land Acquisition Act of 2013, social audit on the alleged irregularities in Mission Kakatiya works, prioritisation of irrigation projects, policy for providing power to lift irrigation projects were among those discussed at the meeting.

The round table has also demanded the government to present a whitepaper on irrigation projects and come up with a comprehensive policy on water, besides taking steps for hydel power generation and water transport taking into consideration the recommendations given by irrigation expert T Hanumantha Rao.

The meeting was attended by Justice Chandra Kumar, CPI state secretary Chada Venkata Reddy, S Malla Reddy from CPI (M), TJAC chairman M Kodandaram, representatives from CPI (ML) New Democracy, Telangana Praja Front, Telangana Vidyavantula Vedika, civil liberties, formers associations.

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