Fast-track land acquisition and R&R for irrigation projects: Uttam tells officials

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to fast-track land acquisition and Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) for all pending and ongoing irrigation projects in Telangana, urging them to cut through delays and move decisively.

At a review meeting held on Saturday at the Secretariat, the Minister emphasised the need for district-level coordination, asking officials to coordinate with District Collectors to urgently address legal, administrative, and logistical issues holding up progress.

“We can’t afford to lose more time,” he told officials, pressing for smoother execution at every level.

Mr. Reddy assessed project statuses across districts, identifying key stumbling blocks. He stressed that irrigation isn’t just a structural need, it’s essential to Telangana’s farm economy and long-term food security. “These projects must be treated as administrative priorities,” he said.

To fix the chronic land acquisition delays, he called for proactive engagement with affected landowners and communities. Compensation, rehabilitation, and resettlement, he insisted, must be handled transparently and sensitively. “If we delay, we risk public backlash and legal trouble that could stall everything,” he warned.

“No lapses, administrative or procedural, should slow this down. Delays only raise costs and spark discontent,” he said.

Two projects received particular attention: Palamuru-Rangareddy and Sitaramasagar, both critical to irrigating large, drought-hit regions.

With monsoon inflows rising across reservoirs, the Minister also reviewed operational readiness of irrigation structures, instructing officials to stay alert, monitor levels closely, and activate emergency protocols as needed.

He emphasised the critical role of tunnel works in several key projects, especially in regions where the terrain makes open canals impractical. To boost the department’s technical capabilities, the Telangana Irrigation Department is bringing in two high-profile Army officers with deep experience in tunnel construction.

General Harpal Singh, the former Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army, will come on board as an honorary advisor. Meanwhile, Colonel Parikshit Mehra, a globally recognised expert in tunnel engineering, will be joining the department full-time. Both officers played key roles in the construction of the Rohtang and Zojila tunnels, two of India’s most challenging infrastructure undertakings.