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The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Those responsible for failure of Kaleshwaram Barrages can't escape punishment: Minister Uttam Reddy
HYDERABAD If any government in the State had harmed the interests of farmers and people, including in the irrigation sector, it was that of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) during the 2014-23 period, Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged here on Friday. The Minister also condemned the remarks of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, who blamed the Congress for the damage suffered by the Medigadda Barrage of the Kaleshwaram project and reasoned that it could be out of fear to appear before the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission of Inquiry into the irregularities in the project. 'They are shivering with the instance of just getting notices from the inquiry Commission. In case they had not committed anything wrong, why are they hesitating to depose before the judicial panel?', he said, adding that if at all they had any suspicion of bombs for the barrage damage, they could as well tell it before the Commission. Besides, it was BRS that was in power when the damage had taken place, and they could have revealed the conspiracy. They were shamelessly trying to cover up their mistakes, and the correspondence between the irrigation department and the work agency L&T shows that the barrage had problems from the beginning. He explained that the Congress government had instituted a judicial probe to find the facts and take action as per law. The CAG, NDSA and Vigilance had all faulted the lapses in every stage of their execution, he noted. Referring to the Pranahita-Chevella project taken up by the previous Congress in 2007, he said it was planned with ₹38,000 crore and ₹10,000 crore was spent on canals. Only one lift could have brought water from Tummidihatti Barrage to Yellampally reservoir with 100 km of gravity flow. The network thereafter was included in the Pranahita Chevella project itself and the same was executed as part of Kaleshwaram. Of the ₹1 lakh crore spent so far on Kaleshwaram, ₹62,000 crore could have been saved and it could have been used for completing Palamuru-Rangareddy, Devadula, SLBC, Dindi, Sita Rama, Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Koilsagar, Bhima and others. He reminded that the CAG report had termed Kaleshwaram as a 'white elephant' for Telangana. The Minister reiterated that those responsible cannot escape punishment as their mistakes had cost the State ₹21,000 crore spent on the Link-I of the Kaleshwaram project, which comprises three barrages and their pump houses to carry water to Yellampalli.
United News of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Our Govt is committed to completing irrigation projects: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy
Hyderabad, May 14 (UNI) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday affirmed that the Congress government is committed to completing pending irrigation projects and ensuring transparency in their execution. He was speaking after distributing appointment letters to newly recruited Assistant Engineers (AEs) and Junior Technical Officers (JTOs) in the Irrigation Department at a function held at Jalasoudha on Wednesday evening. Congratulating the recruits, the Chief Minister said, 'You are not just employees — you are part of an emotional movement that birthed Telangana. The statehood struggle was rooted in our collective aspiration for water, and you are now its representatives.' Highlighting past failures, CM Revanth Reddy criticised previous governments for incomplete and substandard projects despite spending over Rs 2 lakh crore. 'Even after ten years of Telangana's formation, major projects remain unfinished. People should question where that money went,' he said. Referring to the much-touted Kaleshwaram Project, the Chief Minister labelled it a 'monumental failure,' stating, 'Built at a cost of lakhs of crores, Kaleshwaram failed to irrigate even 50,000 acres and suffered structural collapse within three years. It stands as a global example of how not to build irrigation infrastructure.' He alleged that basic engineering protocols, such as soil testing at Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla, were ignored. 'When engineers act on the instructions of politicians with limited technical knowledge, disasters like this happen,' he warned, urging the newly appointed engineers to uphold professional integrity. Revanth Reddy emphasised the Congress government's commitment to strengthening the irrigation sector. 'In just 15 months, we have filled 1,161 posts in the Irrigation Department. This shows our intent,' he said, pledging fast-tracked completion of key projects such as ESLBC, Sitarama, Devadula, Nettempadu, and Sammakka-Sarakka. He also addressed the delay in Group-I recruitment, alleging political interference from previous regimes. 'We are aware of those who tried to block the Group-I process. Rest assured, we will complete these appointments soon,' he said. The Chief Minister reiterated that water remains the most significant sentiment in Telangana and vowed to restore public trust through the efficient and corruption-free execution of all irrigation projects. UNI VV SSP
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Govt. committed to completion of pending irrigation projects, says Chief Minister
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has asserted that his government is committed to completing the pending irrigation projects in Telangana and steps are being taken in this direction. The government has, accordingly, prioritised SLBC, Sitarama, Devadula, Nettempadu, Sammakka-Sarakka and other projects for speedy completion. 'The government is working with commitment to complete the pending irrigation projects to harness the irrigation potential in the interests of the people,' he said. The Chief Minister was speaking after distributing appointment letters to newly appointed assistant executive engineers and other officers of the Irrigation department on Wednesday. He described the job in the Irrigation department as an 'emotion' not merely employment and said political parties gained benefits using the emotion. He recalled how the government had recruited personnel for 1,161 posts in the department since it took over the reins and said equitable share in water was one of the main objectives behind the separate statehood movement. Mr. Revanth Reddy wondered why the irrigation projects remained pending despite spending ₹ 2 lakh crore since the formation of Telangana in 2014. 'Why are the projects incomplete 10 years after the State formation? Who have benefitted from the amounts released?' he questioned, exhorting intellectuals and employees to review the developments over the past decade of the BRS rule. The Chief Minister recalled how the Congress, under former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, prioritised irrigation and constructed major projects which were not disturbed by calamities. But the Kaleshwaram project which was conceived and completed by the previous government collapsed in three years. 'The Kaleshwaram project which involved investment of ₹1 lakh crore did not provide irrigation to at least 50,000 acres. It is the only project in the world which collapsed within three years of its construction,' he said. The project was a lesson on how not to construct a project that would entail severe losses. This could be seen from the fact that the previous government had not conducted soil testing before taking up construction of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages. 'This is because of an individual who claims to have read 80,000 books and turned himself into an engineer,' he said. There should be clear demarcation of duties in every field. 'Engineers should discharge their duties and politicians theirs. Engineers should work with discretion as they will be at loss if they listen to advices of politicians with limited knowledge,' he said, expressing concern over the safety of projects taken up during the previous government because of the lopsided policies. Mr. Revanth Reddy said people knew whose negligence resulted in the SLBC project remaining incomplete over the last decade and said the government should take adequate care in the construction of projects. Referring to the Group-I appointments, he said he was aware of the political leaders who were creating obstacles in the recruitment process. The government was, however, committed to overcome the hurdles and complete the recruitment process soon.
New Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
‘Telangana has fulfilled CWC requirements, allot 90 tmcft for PRLIS'
HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has requested Central Water Commission (CWC) chairman Atul Jain to approve water allocations for two key projects — the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and the Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage. Accompanied by Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation) G Anil Kumar and interstate SE Salla Vijay Kumar, the minister met Jain in New Delhi on Wednesday. He also raised concerns over interstate water management, infrastructure safety and the potential impact of Polavaram backwaters. It must be noted that Jain also holds additional charge as chairman of the KRMB and the Polavaram Project Authority. Launched in 2015, the PRLIS aims to irrigate 12.3 lakh acres in drought-prone districts like Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Vikarabad, Rangareddy and Nalgonda by lifting two tmcft of Krishna river water daily using a series of five pumping stations during the 60-day flood season. Uttam sought an overall allocation of 90 tmcft for the project, with a first-phase sanction of 45 tmcft, noting that all CWC requirements had been fulfilled. For the Sammakka-Sarakka Barrage at Thupakulagudem in Mulugu district, the minister requested 44 tmcft. The barrage, with a capacity of 6.94 tmcft, is meant to stabilise irrigation across 5.55 lakh hectares under the Devadula and Sriramsagar schemes, and also supply drinking water to villages along the route. He said all maps and documentation had been submitted. The minister also expressed concern over Andhra Pradesh's alleged illegal diversion of Krishna water and urged the installation of telemetry instruments at key river points to monitor flow and prevent unauthorised drawals. He noted that Telangana had already released its financial share to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) for the purpose. Threat of Polavaram backwaters Highlighting the backwater threat from the Polavaram project, Uttam called for a fresh assessment and safeguards to protect Telangana from possible flooding and displacement. He also sought CWC's cooperation in conducting a geo-technical and structural review of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, referencing the National Dam Safety Authority's (NDSA) recommendation for CWC's oversight. After the meeting, Uttam said the CWC chairman responded positively and promised prompt action on the state's representations.
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress govt. fixed Krishna water injustice, fast-tracked irrigation projects: Uttam Kumar Reddy
HYDERABAD Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday stated that the Congress government had taken several steps to correct the decades of injustice done to the State in the matter of Krishna water allocation. In a review meeting held at Miryalguda, he said that due to persistent efforts, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar had reopened the issue of sharing 811 tmcft water by the two Telugu States. He alleged that the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government had allowed Andhra Pradesh to take up Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme without even registering any protest. The Congress government had convinced the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to install telemetry instruments across all water drawal points of the Krishna basin projects to ensure real-time monitoring and transparency in water usage. He accused the previous government of grossly ignoring the irrigation needs of South Telangana by focusing solely on the Kaleshwaram project, which, he said, had ultimately failed due to design flaws and corruption. The amount of ₹94,000 crore spent on Kaleshwaram could well have helped complete major projects such as Devadula, SLBC, Dindi, Palamuru-Rangareddy, Sitarama, Uday Samudram and others, which remained pending for years. Despite spending ₹1.81 lakh crore on the irrigation sector during the BRS rule, no substantial ayacut was created. Projects such as Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Koilsagar and Bhima remained incomplete and Devadula and no irrigation potential was created under Sitarama despite huge spending. In contrast, the Congress government was focusing on delivering maximum irrigation benefits with minimum expenditure. He stated that the Congress government had allocated ₹23,000 crore for irrigation in the 2024–25 budget and had taken steps to strengthen the department by recruiting 1,100 engineers and 1,800 Laskars on the outsourcing method. He stated that de-siltation of old reservoirs such as Nagarjunasagar and Sriramsagar was taken up after decades of neglect and the sedimentation had reduced their water holding capacity by 25% to 30%.
