Retd Engineers’ body objects to sourcing water to Dindi LIS from PRLIS

Retired engineers oppose drawing water from Yedula reservoir or PRLIS for Dindi LIS, urging separate water drawl systems to protect PRLIS.

A retired engineers body has objected to the proposal of drawing water from the Yedula reservoir of Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) to Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme (DLIS).

A delegation of the Retired Engineers Association of Hyderabad met Secretary of the Irrigation Department Rahul Bojja on Friday and made a representation expressing concern over the proposal to draw water from Yedula reservoir, originally intended to serve the ayacut exclusively under PRLIS, to Dindi LIS. Such a proposal threatens to ruin the hopes of thousands of farmers in the command area and undermine the objective of irrigating 12.3 lakh acres under PRLIS.

They requested the Secretary to consider the views being put forward and issue order to examine their suggestions. They pointed out that as per the approval granted by the State Government in June 2015, it was proposed to lift 0.5 tmc ft flood water every day from the foreshore of Srisailam to Dindi LIS for 60 days. The lifting of 30 tmc ft water involves pumping in two stages with two off-line and three online reservoirs.

At a round-table conference held by the Institution of Engineers in the past, the general consensus among the experts was for lifting of 1.5 tmc ft water every day for irrigating 12.3 lakh acres in the combined Mahabubnagar and Rangareddy districts. But it was insufficient. The experts suggested lifting of at least 2 tmc ft a day to meet the requirements of the project.

Further, concerns were also raised about the reliability of the water availability for 60 flood days considering the reduction in flood days in the recent years. Accordingly, it was recommended to draw 2 tmc ft water every day exclusively for PRLIS. The experts also suggested drawal of water for Dindi LIS separately from Krishna river/Srisailam reservoir.

The retired engineers body mentioned that the expert appraisal committee had examined PRLIS independently after a detailed project report was submitted to the Central Water Commission in June 2023. The inclusion of Dindi LIS in PRLIS framework would have the possibility of EAC re-examining the DPR impeding the prospects of PRLIS.

They requested the Irrigation Secretary to go for independent water drawl systems for PRLIS, Dindi LIS and Atchampet LIS to avoid adverse impact on the PRLIS command area.