Latest news with #KaleshwaramProject
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
BRS ridicules Irrigation Minister's repeated attempt to malign Kaleshwaram project with lies
HYDERABAD Senior leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former Minister for Irrigation T. Harish Rao has ridiculed Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy for his 'repeated attempts to spread misinformation on Kaleshwaram Project with the belief that people will believe a lie as a fact if told repeatedly'. In a statement, Mr. Harish Rao alleged on Saturday that spreading lies and misinformation on the Kalaeshwaram Project had become the single-point agenda for Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy, as also Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. He questioned the rationale of Mr. Uttam Reddy terming the project as a 'white elephant' while making use of several pump houses and reservoirs constructed as part of the project. Along with documents Mr. Rao reiterated that the Central Water Commission had written to the State government on February 18, 2015 and March 4, 2015 on the non-availability of 160 tmc ft of water planned to be used for the earlier Pranahita-Chevella project at the proposed Tummidihatti Barrage site. Besides, then Maharashtra Chief Minister had written to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart on their opposition to the barrage at Tummidihatti. The Congress government had never attempted to work out an agreement with Maharashtra by convincing the latter for the barrage, though the same party was in power in A.P., Maharashtra and at the Centre from 2007 to 2014. It was the Congress government that had given ₹2,328 crore mobilisation advance to contractors even before taking up the project work. The estimated cost of Pranahita-Chevella started with ₹17,875 crore initially was first revised to ₹38,500 crore in less than two years, and later to ₹40,300 crore. He stated that the Congress government had spent only ₹3,780 crore on Pranahita-Chevella works, including land acquisition against the claims of Mr. Uttam Reddy that ₹10,000 crore was spent. Mr. Harish Rao sought to know why the Congress government had not constructed Tummidihatti Barrage and a gravity canal from Tummidihatti to Yellampally reservoir from 2007 to 2014. He stated that water storage capacity was increased to 141 tmc ft in Kaleshwaram from 16 tmc ft in Pranahita-Chevella. The Kaleshwaram project had created a new ayacut of 3,04,766 acres, including 98,570 acres directly, 39,146 acres by filling 456 minor irrigation tanks with Kaleshwaram canals and another 1,67,050 acres by filling 2,143 minor irrigation tanks with Kaleshwaram water under SRSP Stage-I and Stage-II. 17,08,230 acres of ayacut was stabilised under SRSP Stage-I (Lower Manair Dam), Stage-II and Nizamsagar project and another 20,576 acres under 66 checkdams by diverting Kaleshwaram water to Kudellivagu and Haldivagu.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Experts: Focus on Tummidihatti over Medigadda repairs
Hyderabad: Irrigation experts and intellectuals have urged the Telangana govt to prioritise the Tummidihatti project instead of spending vast sums on repairing the Medigadda barrage, where multiple piers in block 7 have sunk and others have developed cracks. Speaking at a round table discussion titled 'NDSA Final Report–Future of Kaleshwaram Project ,' organised by the Telangana Jala Sadhana Samithi on Thursday, participants described the Kaleshwaram project as one of the most corrupt in the country's history. Irrigation expert PG Sastry, presenting an analysis of the Kaleshwaram project and the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) report, highlighted that constructing barrages on sand beds poses significant engineering challenges compared to rocky terrain. He said that the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages were all built on sand beds — an inherently unstable foundation for large-scale water storage. "These barrages were designed to hold only 2.5 to 3 tmcft of water, but the previous govt stored far more—16 tmcft in Medigadda, 12 tmcft in Annaram, and 8 tmcft in Sundilla. When such large volumes are stored, the structure functions more like a dam than a barrage. This excessive storage caused serious damage to the spillways and foundation," Sastry explained. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo Jala Sadhana Samithi convenor Nainala Govardhan accused the previous BRS govt of compromising the project under the guise of redesign. He called it one of the biggest scams in independent India and recommended that the govt divert funds towards the Tummidihatti project instead of attempting to salvage Medigadda. Former judge of high court, Justice Chandra Kumar, questioned why no action had been taken against those responsible, even after the NDSA submitted its final report on the Medigadda and other barrages.
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
Hans India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Uttam nails Harish's ‘daily dose of falsehoods 'on paddy procurement
Hyderabad: Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday hit back at BRS leader T Harish Rao over his allegations related to paddy procurement. Sharing official statistics, the minister urged the former Irrigation Minister to stop, what he termed, a 'daily campaign of falsehoods.' Addressing Harish Rao on X social media platform, Uttam Kumar shared a comparative chart showing a sharp increase in paddy procurement during the current Rabi season. 'Harish Rao Garu, please see these comparative procurement figures of this year and stop stating falsehoods on every issue every single day!' he wrote tagging Harish Rao on X. The data shared by the Minister revealed that the Telangana government had procured 43.10 lakh metric tonnes (LMTs) of paddy during the ongoing Rabi 2024–25 season, up to May 12. This marked a significant increase compared to 29.88 LMTs procured during the same period in the previous Rabi season (2023–24) and 19.62 LMTs in 2022–23. The figures indicated a nearly 44 per cent jump over last year and more than a 120 per cent rise compared to two years ago, reflecting the current administration's proactive procurement efforts. Uttam Kumar asserted that the Congress government had established more procurement centres and streamlined operations to benefit farmers directly. He said that the government's commitment to ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP), the payment of Rs 500 bonus per quintal for fine-quality paddy, and timely procurement had brought relief to paddy cultivators across Telangana. The Minister highlighted Telangana's record-breaking performance in paddy production. He said that in the Vanakalam season, 153.5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were produced across 66.7 lakh acres, while the ongoing Yasangi crop covered 55 lakh acres, yielding another 127 lakh metric tonnes. He said, 'Telangana had thus produced a total of 280 LMT of paddy in one agricultural year - a historic achievement not only in the state's history but also across the country. This rare and extraordinary feat in India's agricultural landscape was achieved despite the collapse of the Kaleshwaram Project.'
Hans India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Ministers take stock of pending irrigation projects
Miryalguda (Nalgonda): Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Projects, Telangana Paddy Procurement, Nalgonda District, Congress Government, Rice Distribution SchemeThe meeting was attended by Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy During the meeting, Uttam expressed concerns over the weakening of the Irrigation Department over the past 15 years. He stated that after the Congress government came to power, 1,100 engineers were recruited, and 1,800 personnel were hired on an outsourcing basis to strengthen the department. He highlighted that the government allocated Rs 23,000 crores to the irrigation sector in this year's budget, giving it high priority. He said that pending projects like Kandamall are being restarted, and Udayasamudram Project works have progressed significantly under the current government. He assured that steps are being taken to ensure maximum irrigation benefits with minimum expenditure in a short time frame. He criticised the previous government for spending Rs 94,000 crores on the Kaleshwaram Project, stating it brought injustice to Telangana. Uttam also pointed out that despite spending Rs 1.81 lakh crores in the last 10 years, significant irrigation projects like SLBC, Devadula, Palamuru Ranga Reddy, Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, and Bhima remained incomplete. However, the Congress government successfully allocated 68 TMCs of Godavari river waters for projects. He further mentioned that paddy procurement is going on smoothly, and Telangana has become the only State in India to produce the highest paddy yield since the Congress government took power. He urged officials to remain vigilant until the last grain of the Yasangi (Rabi) crop is procured. He highlighted that Telangana is the only state in India to provide free 6 kg of fine rice to 80-84% of the population, with the government spending Rs 13,000 crores on the scheme. Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy, MPs Kunduru Raghavendra Reddy and Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, MLAs Bathula Laxma Reddy, Rajagopal Reddy, Jai Veer Reddy, Balu Naik, MLCs Shankar Naik, Nellikanti Satyam, along with several officials were present.
