The Union Environment Ministry has accorded clearance for making use of 7,920 acres of forest land as a part of Kaleswaram irrigation project in Telangana, an official statement in Hyderabad said.
The advisory committee of the Ministry which met on Thursday in New Delhi took this decision, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's office.
The state government has earlier requested the Centre for required forest clearances for construction of barrages, tunnels, canals and as well as all reservoirs including the Mallanna sagar.
This comes just a week after the Supreme Court refused to stay the construction work of the Sundilla reservoir, being done as part of the lift irrigation project.
The state was fighting against a special leave petition by farmers from Goliwada village in Telangana's Peddapalli district.
Locals claimed that the construction continued despite them obtaining a stay order from the Hyderabad High Court, and also alleged that they were not provided adequate relief and rehabilitation for their land.
Asking the government to go ahead with construction work, the Supreme Court said that the case will come up for hearing again in July.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao personally made every effort to obtain the clearances. He expressed his happiness for all the clearance and complimented the state irrigation and forest officials.
He had last year laid foundation stone for the project which on completion would lift 300 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic) feet of water from river Godavari.
He had said that project will fulfil the need of irrigation water for north Telangana region. The state government had released Rs 13,811 crore for its construction.
The project, which is expected to be completed in three years, will provide water for 30 lakh acres in the region.
IANS inputs