Hanamkonda: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday announced that the Congress government will complete the J. Chokka Rao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme within two years, bringing lasting irrigation benefits to drought-prone regions of Telangana.
Speaking during an inspection of the Devadula works in Dharmasagar mandal, Warangal district, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government has committed funds, cleared land acquisition hurdles, and accelerated pending construction activities. “We will complete the Devadula project and bring irrigation to six lakh acres in the united Warangal and Bhongir districts,” he declared.
Accompanied by Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and MLAs Kadiyam Srihari, Yashaswini Reddy, and Nayini Rajender Reddy, the minister criticised the previous BRS administration, stating it had spent ₹1.81 lakh crore on irrigation over a decade with no major ayacut created. He accused the BRS of mismanaging funds and burdening the state with debt. “The Congress government is correcting this historic blunder by ensuring every rupee spent results in water in the fields,” he asserted.
The minister inspected the 49.06 km main tunnel under Devadula Phase-III Package-III and visited the Devannapet pump house. Officials reported that Pump-02 had operated for 62 hours, delivering water to Dharmasagar reservoir. Pump-01 and Pump-03 are scheduled for commissioning by May 31 and July 31, respectively.
To address tunnel leakages and avoid conflicts with Mission Bhagiratha pipelines, 110 large steel pipes were sourced from the Manjeera project, with pipe insertion work underway and due to finish by the end of May. The project needs an additional ₹3,312 crore and will eventually irrigate 5.57 lakh acres across nine districts.
At Rajavaram village, Uttam Kumar Reddy reviewed EM-1 tunnel and pump house works, where two 4.3 MW pumps have been installed to lift 15.3 cumecs of water. SCADA installation and pressure main encasement are progressing, with a 2.8 km approach channel and super passage expected by August.
He also examined Phase-II RFMC works sanctioned at ₹148.76 crore to strengthen the Ghanpur Main Canal, where canal lining and desilting are in progress.
In Warangal, Uttam Kumar Reddy visited the historic Bhadrakali tank, where 2.7 lakh cubic metres of silt has been removed from a total target of 11.5 lakh cum. The government sanctioned ₹16.11 crore for transporting silt to designated areas. A ₹158 crore flood prevention plan is also underway, with concrete work on the outfall regulator nearing 5,000 cum.
At a high-level review at Hanamkonda Integrated Collectorate, Uttam Kumar Reddy was joined by Ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and D. Seethakka, along with MP Kadiyam Kavya, senior officials, and Collectors from Warangal, Mahabubabad, Bhupalpally, Jangaon, and Mulugu.
Addressing the media, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana had set a record in paddy procurement during the current Rabi season. The government has planned to procure 70.13 lakh metric tonnes, with 28.58 lakh MT already collected from over 3.3 lakh farmers. Payments amounting to ₹3,163.47 crore have already been made out of a total value of ₹5,664.09 crore, with disbursements completed within 48 hours.
He defended the state’s decision to distribute fine rice (sanna biyyam) free of cost to all eligible poor families, calling it a transformative welfare reform. “The Congress government wants to bring light to the eyes of the poor, not just food to their plates,” he said.
The minister also announced that the state aims to stabilise six lakh acres of new ayacut every year and will soon begin desilting major reservoirs, including Sriramsagar. “Under Congress rule, irrigation and welfare will be measurable outcomes—not empty slogans,” he said.
