Lifeline of south Telangana: Palamuru Ranagareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme to irrigate 12.30 lakh acres

HYDERABAD: The Palamuru Ranagreddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) is envisaged to create irrigation potential for an ayacut of 12.30 lakh acres in upland areas of erstwhile districts of Mahbubnagar (7 lakh acres), Rangareddy (5 lakh acres) and Nalgonda (0.3 lakh acres), drinking water to enroute villages, GHMC and to meet industrial water requirement has the potential to transform the landscape of south Telangana.

Just like the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project Kaleshwaram (KLIP), the PRLIS lifts water in five stages with the help of one of the most powerful machines. These machines will lift 120 TMC of Krishna River water from Srisailam Reservoir and two TMC of flood water per day from the foreshore of Srisailam Reservoir in 60 days during floods.

While the administrative approval for the project was given for Rs 32,000 crore on June 10, 2015, the estimate was later revised to Rs 52,000 crore.

Why PRLIS

Most of the command area under the PRLIS is not covered by the medium and minor irrigation schemes in the vicinity. These command areas even though fertile are upland areas that can not be served through gravity. Hence to provide a permanent solution to the problem, the water will be lifted in stages. For an equitable distribution of irrigation, drinking, and water for industries, PRLIS is conceived and is being constructed.

Five-stage water conveyor system

Under the five-stage system in this project, water will be lifted from the foreshore in Yellur village of Kollapur mandal at 240 meters to the proposed KP Laxmidevpally village of Kondurg Mandal at a height of 670 metres. At stage one, an approach channel takes off from Yellur and water will be drawn through a tunnel connected to it, and lifted to fill the 8.61 TMC Anjanagiri reservoir at Narlapur village. At Stage two, water is drawn from Anjanagiri through a canal and a tunnel connected to it and will be lifted to the 6.55 TMC Sriveeranjeneya reservoir at Yedula.

At stage three an approach channel takes off from the Sriveeranjaneya reservoir and fills the 11.56 TMC Venkatadri reservoir at Vattem village and the 19.15 TMC Kurumartaraya reservoir. At stage four water will be lifted to fill the 7.94 TMC Udandapur reservoir. At the final stage, an approach channel takes off from the Udandapur reservoir to fill the 2.80 TMC KP Laxmidevpally reservoir.

Biggest machines of 145 MW rating

“The PRLIS has one the most powerful pumps of 145 MW to lift water to greater heights. These pumps are bigger than the ones that are used in KLIP, “said lift irrigation adviser to State Government K Penta Reddy speaking to NewsTAP on Sunday.

Considered as the man behind installing the ‘Bahubali’ machines in KLIP, the expert explained that the rating of pumps in KLIP was 40MW under link-1, 124.4 MW and 139 MW under link-2, 106 MW, 134.40 MW, 43 MW, 27 MW and 34 MW under link-4. PRLIS with 145 MW rating pumps was technologically advanced compared to KLIP, he added. He said that engineers created a marvel by installing these huge machines under

Salient Features of the Scheme

Source: Srisailam Reservoir

Total lift: 120 TMC

Location: Yellur village, Kollapur mandal

Catchment area: 79,530 square miles

Potential ayacut under reservoirs

Venkatadri: 1,39,000 acres

Kurumartaraya: 1,90,000 acres

Udandapur: 4,88,000

KP Laxmidevipally: 4,13,000 acres

Total ayacut: 12,30,000 acres

Reservoir capacities

Anjanagiri reservoir: 8.61 TMC

Veeranjaneya reservoir: 6.55 TMC

Venkatadri reservoir: 16.58 TMC

Pumps rating: 145 MW

Number of pumps

Lift 1: 8x145MW

Lift 2:9x145MW

Lift 3: 9x145MW

Lift 4: 5x145MW

Lift 5: 3x145MW

Number of Mandals covered:62

Number of Villages Covered:1,131

Project Cost: Rs 52,000 crore

A boon to south Telangana

Celebrating the environmental clearance to the project by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Environment Ministry, State Agriculture minister termed it as an historic moment in the lives of people of the once parched region known for the migration of its farmers to other States in search of livelihood.

“Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao gives utmost importance to irrigation as agriculture will stay as long as humans live on this earth,” Minister for Agriculture Singireddy Niranjan Reddy said. He participated in a 300 bikes rally from Wanaparthy to Edula reservoir. Farmers from the region gathered at the reservoir and celebrated the news.