Retired Engineers Proposals to the Govt.

Hyderabad, February 19: The Telangana Govt has been received some proposals from the Association of Hyderabad Retired Engineers about the Ganga Rejuvenation project, on optimal utilization of Godavari water using different methods.

The suggestions made by Mr. Sriram in his recently released book would not only provide maximum irrigation potential but also enable more dependable water supply to Mission Bhagiratha, the association members stated here on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, former engineer-in-chief K. Bhagyatha Reddy, former chief engineer G. Hanmanth Reddy, former principal of Osmania University College of Engineering R. Ramesh Reddy, former irrigation engineer D. Laxminarayana, and arbitrator on water related issued P. Srinivas Reddy said the only way to undo the injustice done to Telangana was by diverting Godavari water to the Krishna basin.

"A series of barrages should be built, wherever possible, across Godavari and its dependable tributaries such as Pranahita, Indravati, Munneru, and Peddavagu, and the water should be diverted through gravity to the tributaries of Krishna. This way, the people would not be displaced and the government would save money too," the retired engineers said.

Lifting water from such barrages would not be a problem as the cost of energy would come down further in the future, they noted.

"As suggested by Mr. Sriram in his book, the focus should be on strengthening minor irrigation sources, storage of water within the banks of rivers and rivulets, and replenishment of groundwater. The focus should not be on huge projects as the benefit from the two approaches would be the same," they pointed out.

Rainwater harvesting through watershed management methods, as implemented by Mr. Sriram in Rajasthan, would cost only Rs.7,000 per acre against over Rs.1 lakh under proposed projects such as Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, the retired engineers said.

Such an approach would also reduce the burden of debt on future generations.