Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy speaking on Kaleshwaram project in Hyderabad on Friday.
The State government will commence pumping water from the Nandi Medaram pump house by drawing it from the Yellampalli project in the next 2-3 days to fill the network reservoirs of the Kaleshwaram project to meet the irrigation and drinking needs, Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy stated here on Friday.
“This, we have not decided due to the visit of a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators’ team to Kannepalli pump house and Medigadda Barrage on Friday, but it is a decision taken well in advance to make use of the network created under Kaleshwaram project constructed by borrowing money at high interest rates mortgaging the future of Telangana people”, Mr. Uttam Reddy said.
Reacting to the BRS leaders’ visit to Medigadda along with Congress party legislators of the combined Karimnagar district here, he said they plan to put to use the network created as part of the Kaleshwaram with the help of the Yellampalli project constructed by their (Congress) government in the past.
He stated that they would draw as much water as possible from Yellampally by maintaining 14 tmc ft water in it to fill Mid Manair Dam and online reservoirs Anantagiri, Ranganayaka Sagar, Mallanna Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar to meet irrigation and drinking needs under them. They would also divert water to Lower Manair Dam, if need be.
KTR is Joseph Goebbels
Accusing the BRS, particularly its working president K.T. Rama Rao of running a Goebbels campaign on the status of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla Barrages of Kaleshwaram project painting as if they were in perfect condition to store water, the Irrigation Minister suggested the former to change his name as Joseph Goebbels for spreading misinformation.
He reminded the BRS leader that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) experts had recommended not to store water in the three barrages and keep them in free flow condition by keeping all the gates lifted to prevent any further damage to the structures. “We believe that NDSA experts have at least some better knowledge than KTR and that’s why we are following their recommendations”, Mr. Uttam Reddy noted.
“Asking KTR and his father (former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao) to apologise to the people of Telangana for burdening them with huge costs in the name of redesigning the project and changing the location of head works from Tummidi Hatti to Medigadda resulting in three stages of lifting water till Yellampally from just one stage in the original Pranahita-Chevella project,” he added.
“No Chief Minister in the country had committed such a grave mistake and financial irregularity as KCR did with the Kaleshwaram project just for the sake of huge commissions (kickbacks) as the cost of the project is very high with the result being the same as that of Pranahita-Chevella — irrigating 16 lakh acres”, Mr. Uttam Reddy remarked.
Stating that their government was committed to salvaging the Kaleshwaram project as it was constructed with the sweat of Telangana people, the Minister said action would be taken against all those who would be found guilty in the inquiry taken up by Justice P.C. Ghose Commission of Inquiry into the irregularities in the construction of Kaleshwaram Barrages.
Government’s take on Kaleshwaram project
Lifting of water back from Medigadda Barrage by running Kannepally pump house is not possible as water can’t be stored in Annaram and Sundilla too
Water can be lifted by maintaining 11 meters level in Annaram Barrage and 9 meters level in Sundilla, but they have problem of piping from 5 meter level itself
If water is stored in the three barrages as BRS is talking it could lead to a catastrophe
Any untoward damage such as washing away of structures will threaten existence of Sammkka Barrage, Sitrama LI project, Bhadrachalam and 44 villages including Eturunagaram
CAG put total cost of the project at ₹1.47 lakh crore once completed in all respects
Against ₹38,500 crore required to yield the same result as that of Kaleshwaram, the previous government had already spent ₹94,000 crore but created only 94,000 acres ayacut
The government is also committed to complete Pranahita project with barrage at Tummidi Hatti
