This component was intended to draw an additional one TMC of water per day from Godavari River, increasing existing capacity from two TMC to three TMC per day

Hyderabad: Upsetting the strategic plans laid out by the BRS regime for the optimum utilisation of Telangana’s share of Godavari waters, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has rejected the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the add-on component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. This component was intended to draw an additional one TMC of water per day from the Godavari River, increasing the existing capacity from two TMC to three TMC per day.

The CWC’s decision, made after repeated reminders and unanswered queries over the last ten months, has temporarily halted the expansion plans of the Kaleshwaram project. This project, one of the largest lift irrigation schemes in the world, had previously enjoyed priority clearances from the Ministry of Water Resources and swift implementation by the State government.

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The Congress party, that came to power one year ago sought to prove it a failed project ever since two of the pillars in Medigadda barrage were found sagging. The State government handed over the investigation of structural issues reported in Medigadda barrage, generalised the concerns, and halted regular operations at all the three barrages — Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla.

Consequently, water received from the Godavari and Pranahita rivers was left to flow unutilised, with the barrages deliberately drained under the pretext of investigations, leaving the ayacut (irrigated area) high and dry.

The future of the Kaleshwaram project’s expansion now remains uncertain. The DPR, created with thorough planning and accurate data, has been returned to the State Irrigation Department by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry. The Ministry’s letter to the State’s engineer-in-chief stated that several queries were left unaddressed, leading to the rejection of the DPR for the additional one TMC lifting proposal.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, accusing it of neglecting Telangana’s water rights and imposing unnecessary restrictions on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. He highlighted the government’s alleged bias against the Kaleshwaram project, describing it as an “unjust vendetta.”

He criticised the government’s silence on Telangana’s water share in the Krishna River, despite hundreds of TMCs being diverted through the Pothireddypadu project. He pointed out that the Congress government remained indifferent even as the Central government imposed restrictions on drawing an additional TMC of water per day from the Godavari River through the Kaleshwaram project.

The BRS leader also accused the Congress of being inactive and failing to protect the state’s interests. He further criticised the Congress for its poor governance, stating that decades of Congress rule had led to droughts, and within a year of Congress rule, Telangana’s reputation was deteriorating. Rama Rao concluded his attack on the Congress government with a fervent call – “Wake up Telangana, wake up!”