Laying foundation stone for Sri Ram Sagar Project at Pochampad in Nizamabad district, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today said the project will be filled with 90 tmc water in one year from Kaleshwaram project and irrigate 45 lakh acres besides catering to irrigation and drinking water needs of six districts.
Addressing the public after unveiling a pylon on the occasion, KCR called upon the public to question the Opposition parties as to why they were systematically obstructing the projects. The Chief Minister took a dig at the Congress for filing 96 cases against Kaleshwaram project and the public should teach them a lesson, he fumed. KCR said he was fortunate to restart the SRSP, which remained a non-starter despite two Prime Ministers — Jawahar Lal Nehru laid foundation and Indira Gandhi — started the projects though phase I and II are not completed and there was no question of phase III, he said. “Indeed I spoke on the issue in 1996 that the Andhra rulers deprived Telangana of projects and denied waters for crops and now I am restarting it as Chief Minister”, he said. KCR said the completion of the project along Godavari 200km stretch will have waters forever.
“For completing this, we will spend adequate funds to complete barrages at Sundilla, Medigadda, Annaram to fill the project with 90 tmc. With just 8tmc water capacity, the area was denied water for crops as about 250 tmc waters had gone waste into the sea. If we can complete these barrages on time, the SRSP will get waters by ensuring that Godavari gets 70tmc minimum waters year long by February or March next year, KCR clarified. Then there will be no need for the farmers to look at the sky for rains, he maintained. The entire region under the project will be developed into a tourist spot enabling film shootings too, he said.
“We have procured 4,500 acres as against 4,600 acres for Konda Pochamma project in spite of the Congress moving courts with its local leaders as projects completion will render them jobless and no future. KCR declared that he would complete the project despite Opposition hurdles and show the project gets abundant waters in the north Telangana region that was deprived of water for decades by the successive governments. Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Nalgonda and other districts will get waters, he assured. (NSS)