Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the progress of J Chokka Rao Devadula lift irrigation scheme and Indiramma flood flow canal (IFFC) project in New Delhi on October 29. Towards this, the ministry of Jal Shakti has summoned Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and some top irrigation officials seeking their presence in the crucial meeting that is expected to address all related pending issues.

As the two projects have been taken up under the centrally sponsored Accelerated Irrigation Development Programme (AIBP), officials said that the state government would seek additional funds to expedite the completion process.

State Irrigation officials said that the government would apprise the Prime Minister about the status of the Devadula project that is slated for completion by 2027. The government is struggling to mobilise funds after the project cost was revised to Rs 13,445 crore, which is more than double the original projected cost of Rs 6,016 crore. The pending land acquisition issue would also figure prominently in the meeting, officials said.

They said that acquisition of 819 hectares of land in nine districts for the project is pending. The project has been envisaged to irrigate an ayacut of 2.49 lakh hectares and lift 38.16 TMC of Godavari water.

The IFFC project has been envisaged to provide irrigation facilities to drought-prone areas in parts of Rajanna Siricilla, Karimnagar, Siddipet, Warangal Urban, Jangaon and Jagtial districts by way of gravity-cum-lift irrigation system after duly diverting the Godavari River flood water from the foreshore of Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP). Around 20 TMC water is being diverted from the foreshore of SRSP dam at Mupkal in Nizamabad district and is stored in two reservoirs-Mid Manair reservoir and Gouravelli reservoir. A command area of 32,378 ha (as per 128th TAC) is proposed to be irrigated annually through a gravity canal network.