Complete Lendi project by end of 2025-26: Uttam to engineers

Complete Lendi project by end of 2025-26: Uttam to engineers

HYDERABAD

Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has instructed the engineers of the department to focus on the completion of the Lendi project early, at least by the end of 2025-26, so that the intended benefits reach farmers of both Telangana and Maharashtra.

A group of Congress party’s representatives, including Nanded MP Ravindra Chavan, former MLA Hanumant Rao Patil, Suresh Panditwar, Subhash Bad, Dinesh Awaz, Sandeep Patil and others, had a meeting with Mr. Reddy here on Thursday.

He said that the project across Lendi river, a tributary of Manjira, was started in 1984 with an estimated cost of ₹2,183.88 crore in Mukhed Taluka in Nanded district of Maharashtra. On completion, the project was intended to serve an ayacut of 38,573.15 acres in Telangana and 27,710. 39 acres in Maharashtra.

According to the existing agreement between the two States, approximately ₹1,040.87 crore was spent on the project so far. The earthen dam work was 70% complete, the spillway 80% and canal construction was in progress. Proposal for water supply through underground pipelines was also prepared, the minister noted.

However, work on the project was halted in 2011 following the objections raised by some displaced persons. Efforts were under way to resume the work and the riverbed excavation was planned to speed up the work. Mr. Reddy stated that plans were in place to complete the project by the end of 2025-26.