N. Uttam Kumar Reddy | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the National Dam Safety Authority’s (NDSA) report on the Kaleshwaram Project was a direct indictment of the previous BRS government, exposing serious flaws in its design, construction and maintenance.
Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of Bharat Summit 2025 at HICC on Friday, Mr. Reddy said it was shameful that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) claimed the project as monumental despite the key barrages — Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla — were barely functional just a few years after construction.
Demanding a public apology from BRS leaders to the farmers of Telangana, the Minister announced that the Congress government would thoroughly study the NDSA findings and hold a detailed discussion in the next Cabinet meeting.
The NDSA report exposed the deficiencies, mentioning how the design, construction, operation and maintenance were faulty. Soil testing was not done properly, and no proper geophysical investigations were conducted, the Minister said.
Highlighting the report’s findings, he pointed out that the sand piping phenomenon, cavity formation underneath the raft, construction defects, design deficiencies, structural distress and other downstream damages had rendered Block-7 of the Medigadda Barrage unserviceable. The NDSA committee noted similar issues in other blocks as well, based on geophysical investigations that revealed cavity formation under multiple sections of the barrage.
Minister blames BRS
The Minister accused the previous BRS government of mortgaging Telangana’s future by borrowing over ₹1 lakh crore at high interest rates to build a project that failed under their watch. “You claimed you were creating wonders with Kaleshwaram. But you designed it, you built it and it collapsed during your regime,” he charged.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy further said BRS leaders were misleading the public and attempting to survive on ‘lies and mistakes’. “BRS wants to deceive the farmers yet again and betray the very people they claimed to serve,” he charged.
Countering allegations that the NDSA report was politically motivated, he clarified that the NDSA is a central agency comprising the country’s top dam safety experts. “The NDSA was constituted when the BRS was still in power. You should be ashamed that your project was indicted by an institution formed during your own rule,” he charged.
Published – April 25, 2025 08:18 pm is
