No headway in Telangana’s Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme works under Congress government

Despite its importance for irrigation and drinking water supply, the project has faced setbacks in both works and clearances

Hyderabad: The Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), a flagship project aimed at addressing drought-prone conditions in six southern districts of Telangana, has seen little progress since the Congress government assumed power in December 2023.

Despite its importance for irrigation and drinking water supply, the project has faced setbacks in both works and clearances.

The first phase of PRLIS, focused on drinking water supply, had achieved considerable progress under the previous BRS regime, including the inauguration of the Narlapur pump house in September 2023. But the subsequent developments were marred by delays.

The floods in 2023 resulted in the submergence of the mega pumping unit and four others along with key infrastructure. Dewatering efforts went on for a long time, but rehabilitation plans remain stalled.

The second phase, aimed at irrigation, also faced serious issues. Technical clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC) are still pending, despite assurances that they would not delay the project.

Even as Andhra Pradesh opposed the PRLIS, arguing that Telangana’s allocation of 90 TMC from the Krishna river would reduce water availability for its own regions, particularly Rayalaseema, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) ruled in favour of Telangana in 2023. But the lack of action from the Congress government has left critical approvals pending.

Despite the environmental and forest clearances secured under the previous administration, the project has not seen further progress. Additional approvals required for the irrigation phase remain under process with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Legal challenges, including cases filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), have further complicated matters, although the Supreme Court’s stay on the NGT directives provided relief for implementing the drinking water component.

Financial constraints have added to the woes. The project’s estimated cost has escalated to Rs 65,506 crore, with Rs 33,201 crore still required. The Congress government has so far put the project on the back burner. Its commitment to the project’s completion is under question now.

As of today, the PRLIS remains by and large a project calling for attention. The people, who pinned high hopes on its benefits, are left in a state of despair.

The PRLIS is designed to irrigate approximately 12.3 lakh acres (4.97 lakh hectares) and provide drinking water to 1,226 villages across 70 mandals in six districts. It involved lifting 2 TMC of water per day for 60 days during the flood season from the Srisailam reservoir on the Krishna river at Yellur to KP Laxmidevipally through five-stage lifting, followed by gravity-based distribution.

The first phase, focused on drinking water supply, had rapidly progressed under the BRS rule. On September 16, 2023, former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao inaugurated the Narlapur pump house, marking the successful wet run of the first pumping facility, lifting 3,200 cusecs of water into the Anjanadri reservoir, which had a gross storage facility of 6.4 TMC.