‘Munneru–Palair link canal to be completed by Jan 2027’

Khammam: Irrigationand Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday said the Munneru–Paleru link canal project would be completed by January 2027, asserting that the multi-purpose scheme would prove to be a boon for farmers in Khammam, Mahabubabad and Suryapet districts.

The Minister was addressing a public meeting after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy laid the foundation stone for the project at Maddulapalli village in Paleru constituency of Khammam district on Sunday. The project is being taken up at an estimated cost of about Rs 167 crore.

Uttam said the project has been designed to deliver maximum benefits at minimal cost. Surplus floodwater from the Munneru river, which otherwise flows wastefully into the sea during floods, will be diverted directly to the Paleru reservoir through a 9.6-km-long link canal, he explained.

He termed the foundation-laying ceremony a historic moment and said all steps have been taken to ensure the project is completed within the stipulated deadline of January 2027. Once completed, it will stabilise irrigation for 1.38 lakh acres under the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal ayacut in the lower Paleru region of Khammam district and provide irrigation benefits to an additional 40,000 acres in the upper reaches of Suryapet district, he said.

Minister said the project would also strengthen SRSP Phase-II, increasing the irrigated area from 56,000 acres to 76,000 acres. By utilising floodwater, the state would also save nearly Rs 120 crore annually in electricity charges incurred for the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme, he added.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the project would enable generation of about 2 MW of hydel power through the existing Paleru hydel unit and help mitigate flood threats in Khammam, Suryapet and Mahabubabad districts during the monsoon season. In addition, 4.7 tm of water would be supplied annually to Mission Bhagiratha, improving drinking water availability in the three districts.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to completing the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme, the minister said the Congress government revised the project cost from Rs 13,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore, accelerated works and secured allocation of 67 tmc of water. He said the scheme aims to provide Godavari water to 6.8 lakh acres in the undivided Khammam district.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said three pump houses have already been commissioned after the Congress came to power, while work on the fourth is progressing rapidly. He criticised the previous BRS government for alleged neglect of irrigation projects and stressed that public representatives, people and the party machinery must work together to complete major projects.