New barrage over Godavari soon: Telangana govt

A new barrage would come up across Godavari river near Thupakulagudem in Warangal district at a cost of Rs 2,121 crore.The State Cabinet which met here on Thursday with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in the chair, gave its nod for the project which would substantially augment the pondage for the J Chokka Rao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme. The State Government has already enhanced water allocation from 38 tmc to 60 tmc for the project to meet the irrigation needs in over six lakh acres of Warangal and neighbouring districts.

The Government, after sanctioning the new Thupakulagudem barrage, has decided to scrap the previous Congress government’s proposal to construct Kanthalapalli barrage downstream on the same river. The decision to construct the barrage at an upstream point would facilitate lifting of about five to six tmc of additional water from the river under phase 1 and phase II of the Devadula lift scheme.

Once phase III is completed, it would help augment the drawal by about 25 tmc.The new barrage would help save on land acquisition and spare some 12 tribal villages from submergence besides facilitating additional pondage/storage of water in the river at 80 metre Full Reservoir Level. as against the previously proposed FRL of 71 metres. It will help drawal of water for a minimum of 180 days as against the present drawal that is limited to 90 days to 110 days. There would not be any change either in the contractor or the cost involved, according to the irrigation department sources.

The Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme in fact was originally considered to lift water from Godavari River near Gangaram village in Eturunagaram mandal of Warangal district to irrigate 6.21 lakh acres in upland drought-prone areas of Karimnagar, Warangal, Nalgonda and Medak Districts from an elevation of +71 m. to +540 m by utilizing 38.18 TMC of water out of 467.24 TMC water available at the intake point in the river. Pumping period was proposed for 170 days between late June and early July and end of November. But the studies conducted later proved that it was not feasible.

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