50 TMC Munneru-Palair project gets the green light.
HYDERABAD: In a significant move to channelise water resources and mitigate flood risks, the state government has taken up the implementation of the Munneru-Palair gravity link scheme, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Sunday. The project will deliver up to 50 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water annually, surplus water which otherwise floods Khammam and drains into the sea. Construction is expected to commence soon.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the project will be a gamechanger for water management in Khammam, Suryapet, and Mahbubabad districts. At an estimated cost of ₹162.54 crore, the scheme is projected to save the government up to ₹120 crore per year in electricity costs related to the Sitarama lift irrigation scheme. Water from the Munneru will be redirected from the check dam at Mulkanoor in Garla Mandal of Mahbubabad district.
The minister highlighted that the Munneru-Palair scheme had the potential to repurpose floodwaters from the Munneru, which have long caused devastation in Khammam district through recurrent flash floods. “This multi-purpose scheme will yield maximum results at minimum expenditure. By diverting excess water that otherwise flows unused into the Bay of Bengal, the project not only curbs flood damage but also bolsters agricultural stability and drinking water security across the affected areas,” Uttam stated.
The proposed link canal will span 9.6 kilometres and is engineered to handle a discharge capacity of 4,500 cusecs. The government has sanctioned the project under GO Rt No. 98, dated May 17, 2025, allocating ₹162.54 crore for its implementation.
The project will stabilise 1.38 lakh acres of ayacut under the Nagarjunasagar Project (NSP) left canal downstream of the Palair reservoir in Khammam district. Additionally, it will secure 40,000 acres of NSP upstream of the reservoir, spanning Khammam and Suryapet districts.
An allocated 4.70 tmc ft of water per annum from the Palair reservoir will meet drinking water requirements under the Mission Bhagiratha schemes in Khammam, Mahbubabad, and Suryapet districts. The influx of additional water will enable the generation of 2 MW of hydropower at the existing hydel plant downstream of the Palair reservoir, contributing to the state’s energy portfolio, the minister added.
