Telangana: Gummadi Narsaiah seeks water for Yellandu on priority

Urges government to extend irrigation support under Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme to the water-starved area on priority

Hyderabad: Tribal leader and former MLA Gummadi Narsaiah on Saturday urged the government to extend irrigation support under Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme to the water-starved Yellandu area on priority.

He was the special invitee at a high-level review held at Jalasoudha on the progress of works on Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme and Seethamma Sagar Barrage.

Narsaiah has been campaigning for quenching the thirst of Yellandu. He had tried to meet Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on this issue, but failed to get an appointment. But the Ministers from Khammam district took up the initiative and helped him in meeting the Chief Minister subsequently. The review, held by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, saw the participation of all the three ministers from Khammam.

Over 80 per cent of the works on the project were completed during the BRS regime. The project, which aims to provide irrigation to 1.6 lakh acres, has seen the completion of four pump houses and the installation of motors. However, efforts are now focused on finishing the link canal works by August 15, with plans to commence water pumping operations soon.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the works on the barrage were being implemented on a war footing. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Thummala Nageswara Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy also took part in the review.