Telangana: Preparations Complete For Resuming PRLIS Phase-I Works

After a long pause of nearly a year and a half, the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) is getting back on track, with the State government preparing to restart work on Phase I of the project. In a key meeting held on Saturday, Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy directed senior officials to prioritise the works and ensure their completion by December 2025.

Work on crucial components like the Karivena Reservoir and the Package III canal connecting Narlapur and Yedula reservoirs is set to begin immediately. The Minister has set an ambitious target of finishing these works by October 2025.

Officials also reviewed the progress and plans for the construction of several key reservoirs under PRLIS. New timelines were finalised for the completion of Narlapur (6.40 TMC), Yedula (6.55 TMC), Vattem (16.70 TMC), and Karivena (19.00 TMC) reservoirs. Once completed, these will collectively provide a storage capacity of nearly 50 TMC of water-bringing much-needed relief to drought-prone regions of the state.

In addition to irrigation infrastructure, the energy needs of the project are also being addressed. A budget of ₹262 crore has been allocated to TRANSCO for setting up 400 KV substations at pumping stations located in Narlapur, Yedula, and Vattem. A trial run of the pumping systems is scheduled for July 2025.

The government is also taking steps to restore the original gross storage capacity of the Priyadarshini Jurala project. Due to silt accumulation, its capacity has dropped from 12 TMC to just 9 TMC. Desilting works will be taken up soon to restore full capacity.

These efforts are expected to significantly improve water availability in southern Telangana and boost agricultural development across the region.