T'gana: Bhakta Ramadasu Lift Irrigation scheme completed

In a major success for the Telangana government, the Bhakta Ramadasu Lift Irrigation scheme in Khammam district, that would irrigate 60,000 acres, has been completedtwo months of ahead of schedule.
ChiefMinister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid the foundation stone for the project on February 16, 2016 at Palair in Khammam district.
"It was targeted that the project will be completed by March 2017. But the project is completed 2 months ahead and earlier than expected. It is one of the fastest completed projects in the country," the state government said today.
Rao would dedicate the project to the people on January 31, the birth anniversary of 17th century saint-poet Bhakta Ramadasu.

The scheme would irrigate 60,000 acres in hitherto parched lands in Tirumalayapalem, Kusumanchi, Nelakondapally, Mudigonda, Khammam Rural mandals under Palair Assembly Constituency represented by Roads and Buildings Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and also Dornakal mandal of Mahabubabad district.
"Under this scheme 5.5 TMC water from Nagarjuna Sagar Balancing Reservoir at Palair is pumped from a height of 125.700 Metres to DBM-60 (Sriram Sagar Project state II) which is at a height of 187 meters and be released at the 45th kilometer," the state government said in a release.

Having identified irrigation as a priority area, the Chief Minister entrusted the responsibility of completing the project to Nageswara Rao and Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao, it said.

The two ministers monitored the progress of the construction almost on a daily basis and ensured that land acquisition is completed quickly.
The project works have progressed expeditiously and the private firm that undertook the construction succeeded in completing it with the cooperation of government.
"Normally for any lift irrigation scheme it will take two years to complete the civil, mechanical electrical, laying of pipelines etc. But due to the coordinated efforts by irrigation, revenue, power departments and the Working Agency, these works on Bhakta Ramadasu project were completed at a fast pace," the government said.
Appreciating the ministers and the government officials for the quick completion of the project, Rao said, "Similarly, the government will also complete all the irrigation projects on time in the state as a gift to the people of the state who gave a massive mandate to TRS in the last elections".