A delegation of Congress Legislature Party on Wednesday visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Lift Irrigation Project in Jhajjar district of Haryana.
The delegation, led by Leaders of Opposition K. Jana Reddy (Assembly) and Mohammed Ali Shabbir (Council), comprised of former Union Minister T. Balram Naik, ex-MPs Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Yashki Goud, MLA Donthi Madhav Reddy and AICC member Dayasagar Rao. Lift Canals’ Chief Engineer Satbir Singh and other senior officials of Haryana Government received the Congress delegation. They gave a power-point presentation and also took the CLP delegation to the project site.
Shabbir Ali informed that the JLN project was initiated in 1972 and completed in 1980. It operates on gravity for first 90 KM and then the water is taken to different places only through lifts without any reservoirs. The JLN project irrigates about six lakh acres of land besides fulfilling drinking water needs. “JLN Project, constructed by the then Congress Government of Haryana, is the perfect example of how irrigation facility can be provided at less cost and minimal land acquisition. TRS Government should emulate this model and shelve the Mallanna Sagar and other projects which require construction of huge reservoirs,” he said.
The Congress leader said that there was no need for a 50 TMC capacity reservoir for Mallanna Sagar project. He said that the CLP would prepare a report on their visit to JLN project and submit it, along with suggestions, to the Telangana Government. He thanked the Haryana Government for its cooperation in facilitating the visit of Congress leaders. (NSS)