The irrigation sector in Hyderabad is getting a boost with a budget allocation for completing pending projects. This will create new cultivable land covering 6.5 lakh acres. The budget for this will be presented on either July 25 or 26.
Around Rs 11,000 crore will be set aside to finish these pending irrigation projects. This will mainly benefit areas like old Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts. The state government has identified these pending projects and is working on strategies to finish them quickly. Projects in old Mahabubnagar in the Krishna basin are a top priority for completion, including schemes like Palamuru – Rangareddy lift scheme, Koilsagar, RBLIS, and others.
To complete all identified pending irrigation schemes, at least Rs 11,000 crore is needed. Proposals for this fund requirement will be sent to the Finance department for approval. Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has instructed officials to prepare these proposals and send them to the finance wing for budget allocation.
About 60% of the earlier budget allocation of Rs 28,000 crore was used to pay off interests and loans from previous government projects. This has made it challenging for the current government to gather funds for completing pending works.
Projects have been categorized as A, B, and C with different estimated costs for bringing acreage under cultivation. The Rajiv Canal project in Khammam district will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on August 15 this year.
