The state government will lay the foundation stone for the Rs 38,500 crore Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation scheme on Wednesday. This will help in diverting 160 tmc water from river Pranahita in Adilabad to Chevella in Rangareddy, covering a distance of 700 km.
Addressing the media, chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy said the scheme would provide irrigation facilities for an ayacut of 1.64 million acre and drinking water enroute to Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, Nalgonda, Rangareddy and Warangal districts.
The foundation stones will be laid in all these districts except Warangal, where only 12,000 acre would be irrigated.
The project, estimated to be completed in 48 months, will also bring in 30 tmc drinking water to Hyderabad and 16 tmc for industrial purposes. The water will be diverted using 16 lifts. It will require 3,375 Mw power and consume 9,720 million units of energy, which would costs Rs 2,294 crore per annum at Rs 2.36 a unit.
The energy demand will be met by the 1,600 Mw hydel power plants and the coal-based power plants with an aggregate capacity of 14,000 Mw, which are in various phases of development in the state.