Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has launched the phase-i of the ₹50,000 crore Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, which seeks to pump up water from the river Krishna to provide drinking water and irrigation to over 12 lakh acres in the areas in the six districts in the southern part of the State.

He formally launched the scheme’s first phase at Narlapur village in Nagarkurnool district by switching on one of the three dozen heavy-duty pump sets. Taken up with an expenditure of 26,262 crore, the project seeks to arrest the migration of thousands of labourers  from Mahabubnagar district.

The project would have 31 massive pump sets with a capacity of 145 MW each and three pump sets with a capacity of 75 MW each.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (2R) inaugurates the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Scheme, in Narlapur, Saturday, September 16, 2023.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (2R) inaugurates the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Scheme, in Narlapur, Saturday, September 16, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

The scheme seeks to lift 90 tmc of water in 60 days from the foreshore of Srisailam reservoir on the Krishna. The water will lifted in five stages through pumping stations at different places. 

The water is being pumped to an elevation of 670 metres at KP Lakshmidevipalli village near Shadnagar town. In the first phase, the scheme will provide drinking water to 1,226 villages in six districts - including Nagarkurnoo, Mahabubnagar, Narayanpet, Rangareddy, Vikarabad and Hyderabad.

The government has acquired 27,000 acres to take up the first phase of work. In the second phase, it would acquire 39,000 acres more.

The scheme will have six reservoirs, with a gross capacity of 67 tmc, with an aggregate canal length of 30 km and 95 km long tunnels.

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