Telangana Accelerates Devadula Irrigation Project Completion

The Telangana government has prioritized the completion of the Devadula Lift Irrigation Project, with leadership declaring a war-footing approach to finish all pending works. Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has formally set a deadline of December 31, 2027, for full operational capability. Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka has guaranteed that financial constraints will not impede progress, as the administration seeks to utilize the project's total capacity of 38.16 TMC to secure irrigation for regional farmers.

As of May 2026, the ambitious irrigation endeavor had reached 87.70% physical completion, with a total expenditure recorded at ₹14,422 crore. An additional ₹3,978 crore is estimated as necessary to finalize the remaining infrastructure. The project’s timeline has faced significant delays, primarily driven by complex land acquisition requirements and technical challenges related to canal lining. Despite these hurdles, the government recently initiated continuous water pumping from the Godavari River to mitigate drought conditions across the erstwhile Warangal district.

Currently, seven of the ten installed pumps are fully operational, with engineers working to activate the remaining three units shortly. The ongoing water diversion efforts aim to fill critical local reservoirs including Dharmasagar, Station Ghanpur, Nawabpet, Ashwaraopally, Chitakoduru, and Bommakur. Successful completion of this infrastructure is expected to provide assured irrigation for approximately three lakh acres of agricultural land, significantly bolstering the rural economy of Telangana. The focus remains on resolving lingering bottlenecks in canal lining to reach the full operational capacity by the 2027 deadline.