Chief Minister orders commencement of Kaleshwaram project dam repairs in December

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to commence repair work on the damaged Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project in the month of December. During a review meeting held in Hyderabad on Thursday, the Chief Minister clarified that all such works shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the recommendations of national-level experts and the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).

To ensure compliance with standards, the Chief Minister has instructed officials to obtain final approvals for these works by the end of November. Cabinet colleagues N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar were also present at the meeting. The Chief Minister also told ministers to counter false propaganda claiming that water is available at Medigadda.

Providing information on technical challenges, it was stated that it is necessary to close the gates of the Annaram and Sundilla barrages to divert water drawn from Medigadda to the Yellampalli reservoir. However, the NDSA has advised that the gates of both these barrages should be kept open due to structural defects.

Speaking on the alternative use of Godavari water, Revanth Reddy stated that to prevent the downstream water of the Godavari from being wasted, more water has been drawn through the Devadula and Sitaram lift irrigation schemes than previously. The previous government used to draw an annual average of 9.57 tmc ft of water through Devadula, which has increased to an average of 18.13 tmc ft over the last three years, showing an increase of 89%.

By October this year, 16.71 tmc ft of water was drawn through Devadula and 8.10 tmc ft through Sitaram, resulting in a total usage of 24.81 tmc ft. The Chief Minister observed that if the previous government had constructed the barrage at Tummidihatti and completed the Pranahita project, the state would not have faced such difficulties during drought-like situations. He added that Pranahita's water could have been brought to Yellampalli at a lower cost.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior officials provided a detailed explanation regarding the restoration plan for the three barrages. Proposals amounting to approximately ₹4,193 crore have been prepared for the repair of these three barrages. Under the proposed arrangement, the cost of rectifying defects will be borne by the construction agencies, while the cost for additional works will be borne by the government.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project was a massive project for irrigation in Telangana. It was designed to deliver water to large areas using the waters of the Godavari river.