Big irrigation boost as Sadarmat Barrage goes live
Khanapur: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday formally inaugurated the Sadarmat Barrage near Ponkal village in Mamda mandal of Nirmal district, marking a major boost to irrigation facilities in the northern parts of the State. The project is expected to provide irrigation water to more than 18,000 acres across Nirmal and Jagtial districts, benefiting thousands of farmers.
Accompanied by Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Adilabad district in-charge Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Government Advisor Sudarshan Reddy, Khanapur MLA Vedum Bojju Patel, Nirmal MLA Eleti Maheshwar Reddy and Korutla MLA Sanjay Rao, the Chief Minister offered special prayers to the Godavari River and ceremonially released water by opening the barrage gates.
Addressing the gathering, Revanth Reddy said the Sadarmat Barrage would supply irrigation water to 13,000 acres in Kadam and Khanapur mandals of Nirmal district and another 5,000 acres in Ibrahimpatnam and Mallapur areas of Jagtial district, taking the total ayacut to 18,016 acres. He said the project would benefit farmers in 34 villages across Kadam, Khanapur and Korutla mandals.
The barrage, which has a storage capacity of 1.58 TMC, will stabilise the old Sadarmat Anicut and Ganganala ayacut, ensuring assured water supply during the cropping seasons. The project, initiated in October 2016, was completed at a cost of Rs 676.592 crore, with 1,176 acres of land acquired for its construction.
Emphasising that farmer welfare is the top priority of his government, the Chief Minister said the administration is committed to strengthening agriculture through schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bharosa and farm loan waivers. He also highlighted the role of procurement centres in purchasing crops at minimum support prices, ensuring fair returns to farmers.
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government was focusing on completing and operationalising pending irrigation projects to ensure maximum benefit to farmers. He stated that irrigation infrastructure is being strengthened across the State to provide long-term water security.
Adilabad district in-charge Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said the Sadarmat Barrage would transform agriculture in the region and improve the economic conditions of farming families. Local MLAs thanked the Chief Minister for giving priority to long-pending irrigation demands of the area.
MLC Dande Vittal, former Khanapur MLA Ajmeera Rekha Naik, District Collector Abhinav, senior irrigation department officials and public representatives were present.
Heavy security arrangements were made at the site under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Janaki Sharmila.
The inauguration of the Sadarmat Barrage is being seen as a major milestone in boosting irrigation potential in north Telangana and providing lasting relief to farmers dependent on rain-fed agriculture.
