Congress’ criticism of Kaleshwaram proved wrong by lifting of water from Gayatri pump house, says BRS

Water from Yellampalli reservoir was taken to Nandimedaram pump house through the gravity canal. Later, water was lifted to Gayatri pump house from where it was lifted and dumped into the flood flow canal facilitating the farmers to supply water to standing crops by drawing from the canal.

Karimnagar: The criticism of the ruling Congress and other political parties of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project has been proved wrong with the lifting of Godavari water through the Gayatri pump house, BRS leaders said here on Monday.

In the wake of growing demand for water and farmers’ agitations for the release of water into the Flood Flow Canal of the SRSP project, irrigation officials lifted Godavari water by operating the sixth Bahubali pump of Gayatri pump house and dumped it in the FFC on Sunday.

The Congress and other political parties were attacking the previous BRS government accusing it of wasting money on the Kaleshwaram project. However, the same project helped to solve the problems of farmers by supplying water to standing crops, former Choppadandi MLA Sunke Ravishankar said.

“Though adequate water was available in Yellampalli, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, the State government was deliberately denying water to blame BRS chief and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao,” he said.

Water from Yellampalli reservoir was taken to Nandimedaram pump house through the gravity canal. Later, water was lifted to Gayatri pump house from where it was lifted and dumped into the flood flow canal facilitating the farmers to supply water to standing crops by drawing from the canal.

Initially, water was supplied to the upstream area of the canal in Mallial mandal by closing gates at Shanagar. Later, it was diverted downstream up to Mid Manair by lifting the gates. Water will be available in the canal if the gates were closed at Vardavelli of Boinpalli mandal and farmers from Ramadugu, Gangadhara, Boinpalli and Mallial mandal will get the water.

Pointing out that in the wake of sinking of three pillars of Medigadda barrage, the State government had stalled lifting of Kaleshwaram water this year, Ravishankar stated that this had resulted in standing crops in the FFC command area withering. Worried about their crops, farmers were staging protests demanding officials to release water into FFC.

On Sunday, Ravishankar also staged a dharna at the canal near Kondannapalli bridge of Gangadhara mandal. With Chandrashekhar Rao visiting Jangaon and Nalgonda on Sunday as well, officials immediately released water into the canal on Sunday evening, Ravishankar said.