CM KCR instructs officials concerned to expedite restructuring of the Water Resources Department

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday instructed officials concerned to expedite restructuring of the Water Resources Department for effective functioning as a single unit. He suggested increasing the number of territorial jurisdictions from the existing 13 to 19 at the field level, with each jurisdiction to be headed by a Chief Engineer (CE). All the different irrigation departments within this territorial jurisdiction will now function under one unit headed by the Chief Engineer.

In a meeting on reorganisation of the Water Resources Department at Pragathi Bhavan here, the Chief Minister emphasised the need for restructuring the department to keep pace with the revolutionary changes in the irrigation sector in the State. He observed that workload had increased on the existing manpower due to construction of irrigation projects, canals, reservoirs, pump houses and the subsequent increase in the ayacut area after the State formation. 

Stating that restructuring was key to eliminate duplication and overlapping of work, he said: “Under these circumstances, we must bring all the different irrigation departments like major, medium and minor irrigation to function under one single umbrella. The CEs will be responsible for each terrirtorial jurisdiction,” he said.

The Chief Minister suggested



setting up territorial headquarters at Adilabad, Mancherial, Jagitial, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Ramagundam, Warangal, Mulugu, Khammam, Kothagudem, Gajwel, Sangareddy, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool and Hyderabad. Projects, lakes, lift irrigation schemes, reservoirs, barrages, pump houses, canals, sub-stations and other related topics within these territorial jurisdictions, will be dealt by the CE.

Rao also decided to name Ghanpur anicut in Medak district as Vanadurga project, and asked the officials concerned to restore the canals under the Pakala project. Following a request from Narsampet MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy, the Chief Minister directed the officials to prepare estimates immediately for restoring the canals built during the Kakatiya period which are in dilapidated condition and stablise the ayacut of about 30,000 acres in the area. He said restoring the canals built by the Kakatiyas meant preserving the heritage.

Ministers S Niranjan Reddy, Eatala Rajender, Rythu Bandhu Samithi chairman Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy, MLC Seri Subhash Reddy, Principal Secretary for Water Resources Rajat Kumar, CMO Secretary Smita Sabharwal, CMO Officer on Special Duty Sridhar Deshpande, and other senior officials, attended the meeting.