The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has urged the Telangana government to declare a temporary “holiday” on new major irrigation projects and instead focus on completing projects that are already nearing completion.
In a representation submitted to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, FGG President M. Padmanabha Reddy said large irrigation projects across the world have often been associated with heavy investments, long gestation periods, environmental damage, land acquisition issues and corruption.
The forum stated that not every acre of cultivated land requires assured irrigation, noting that different crops have varying water needs. It observed that the availability of canal water and free electricity for groundwater usage has led to a visible shift towards paddy cultivation, reducing the cultivation of pulses, oil seeds, cotton and other dry crops.
According to FGG, excess paddy production is now creating procurement challenges for governments. The organisation suggested that the Agriculture Department should encourage farmers to shift towards oil seeds, pulses and horticulture crops by offering incentives and better support prices.
The representation also highlighted that lakhs of crores of rupees have been spent on major irrigation projects such as Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and Srisailam Left Bank Canal after the formation of Telangana. However, it alleged that even after more than a decade, these projects have not delivered the expected results.
FGG said only projects that are over 90 per cent complete should be prioritised, while new major projects can be deferred for a few years.
The forum also opposed the reported proposal to take up the Tummidihetti Barrage project on the Pranahita River. It recalled that the earlier Pranahita-Chevella project had already consumed nearly ₹8,000 crore before being abandoned after the formation of Telangana, following which the Kaleshwaram project was taken up in 2014.
FGG claimed that nearly ₹1 lakh crore was spent on Kaleshwaram by 2023, but structural damage has rendered parts of the project non-operational. It urged the government to drop the Tummidihetti proposal and instead focus on repairing and restoring the Kaleshwaram project.
