Khammam, Jan.18 (RAHNUMA): Reaffirming the Congress government’s pro-farmer agenda, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday assured the swift completion of the Munneru-Palair Link Canal Project, pledging to have it fully operational and inaugurated by January next year.
Speaking at a public meeting in Khammam following the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Rs 162.54 crore project by the Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, the Minister highlighted the low cost initiative promising high-impact benefits. He described the project as a gravity-based scheme that will divert surplus floodwaters from the Munneru River—previously flowed unused into the sea—directly to the Palair reservoir via a 9.6 km link canal.
“This is a historic moment for the region,” he stated, crediting the current administration’s decisive action in contrast to the previous BRS government’s decade-long neglect. The Minister assured that the entire project will be completed within one year, with inauguration slated for January 2027 by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. He vowed to accelerate all works to meet this deadline.
Estimated to cost Rs 162 crore, the project exemplifies “maximum results with minimum expenditure. It will be stabilizing irrigation for 1.38 lakh acres under the Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) left canal downstream of Palair in Khammam district, plus 40,000 acres upstream in Suryapet district. It will also support schemes like SRSP Phase-2, benefiting 56,000-76,000 acres seasonally.
The Minister pointed out significant savings, including a reduction of Rs 120 crore in annual electricity costs for the larger Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project by shifting from power-intensive pumping to gravity flow. Additionally, the scheme will generate 2 MW of hydropower at the existing hydel plant downstream of Palair and mitigate flood risks across Khammam, Suryapet, and Mahabubabad districts. Drinking Water Supply. An allocation of 4.7 TMC annually will bolster Mission Bhagiratha, providing reliable drinking water to communities in Khammam, Mahabubabad, and Suryapet districts.
Minister Reddy also tied the Munneru-Palair Link to the broader acceleration of the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP), which aims to deliver Godavari waters to 6.8 lakh acres in the erstwhile Khammam district. He noted that the Congress government has revised project estimates from Rs 13,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore. Water allocation of 67 TMC was made by the Congress government.
The Congress government activated three pump houses last year, with a fourth under rapid construction. Appealing for collaboration from local leaders, stakeholders, and the public, the Minister expressed his personal commitment to the project’s success.
“Under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and with the support of the Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers like Tummala Nageswara Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, we will ensure this link canal transforms the lives of our farmers in Khammam, Suryapet and Mahabubabad, he declared
