India

Andhra Pradesh Allocates ₹632 Crore to Restore 789 Lift Irrigation Schemes Before Kharif

By PTI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials on Wednesday to repair 789 inactive lift irrigation schemes at an estimated cost of ₹632.07 crore, aiming to have them operational before the upcoming kharif season. The directive, issued during a review of irrigation projects at his camp office, requires all repairs to be completed by June next year. The restoration work is expected to improve irrigation for 7.4 lakh acres of land. Naidu instructed officials to inspect the schemes on the field, invite tenders immediately, and commence repairs without delay. He proposed entrusting continuous monitoring and maintenance to the Jalaharathi Corporation and establishing a dedicated division for this purpose. Additionally, he suggested appointing a Chief Engineer or Superintending Engineer in each district to oversee the restoration works and urged coordination among officials to finish the repairs. During the review, officials reported that 4,171 acres of government irrigation land could be used for solar power plants with a combined capacity of 903.1 MW. Of the 5,565 acres available under the Water Resources Department, 4,061 acres have been earmarked for solar installations with a potential capacity of 877.3 MW, while 110 acres across 84 locations under the Irrigation Development Corporation could generate another 25.8 MW. Naidu asked officials to explore solar and hydropower generation opportunities along canals and to prepare a plan for ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to lift irrigation schemes during the agricultural season, also examining the possibility of selling surplus power to the grid. He highlighted that integrating transport, power generation, solar energy, and agriculture could create additional economic opportunities. Naidu also suggested establishing a Water Regulatory Commission similar to the Electricity Regulatory Commission to regulate water utilisation across sectors such as irrigation, industry, power generation, and transport, citing the Ganga-Cauvery river-linking project as an example. He assured officials that funds would be released without delay for completing 36 irrigation projects identified as priorities, directing that these projects be finished within the next two and a half years.