Harish Rao Threatens to Switch On Kannepalli Pump House Motors
Harish Rao questioned why the government is not utilising this opportunity, noting that even a single motor can operate with just 5,000 cusecs of water, which would lift around 2,100 cusecs.
Hyderabad: Former minister T. Harish Rao has demanded that the Telangana government immediately switch on the motors at the Kannepalli pump house to provide irrigation water to farmers.
Despite the Medigadda barrage gates being fully open, Harish Rao said, 2 tmc ft of water could still be lifted from Kannepalli to irrigate lakhs of acres, potentially easing the drought crisis.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Harish Rao warned that if the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government continued to ignore the farmers’ plight, BRS activists, under the leadership of BRS president K. Chandrashekhar Rao, would march to the Kannepalli pump house and start the motors themselves.
He highlighted that operating the Kaleshwaram project motors could bring in 2 tmc fr (thousand million cubic feet) of water daily, supplying irrigation needs across 15 districts.
He pointed out that several reservoirs — including Ranganayakasagar, Mallannasagar, Kondapochammasagar, and Baswapur — with a combined capacity of 141 tmc ft, were ready to be filled. The infrastructure, including pump houses and substations, is in place, yet the government hesitates to lift the water.
With heavy rains in Maharashtra, about 73,600 cusecs of water was flowing near Medigadda, and the river level stood at 96 metres — 2.5 metres above the minimum drawdown level (MDDL) of 93.5 metres required to operate the Kannepalli pumps.
Harish Rao questioned why the government is not utilising this opportunity, noting that even a single motor can operate with just 5,000 cusecs of water, which would lift around 2,100 cusecs.
He also accused the government of deliberately delaying repairs on two damaged pillars of the Medigadda barrage. Rao detailed the scale of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, which includes 19 reservoirs, 21 pump houses, 16 substations, 203 km of tunnels, 1,531 km of gravity canals, and 98 km of pressure mains.
Harish Rao criticised the Chief Minister for claiming to be a son of Palamuru while neglecting the farmers of the region. Stating that flood waters reached Srisailam about 36 days ago, Harish alleged that the state government has still not turned on the Kalwakurthy motors to provide water to the drought-prone areas of Mahbubnagar. It is the first time since the formation of the state that Krishna waters have been so underutilised during this period — and all the credit for that, he said, goes to the Revanth Reddy government.
Asking Revanth Reddy to reveal his alleged secret deal with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Harish Rao claimed that Revanth Reddy has allotted 65 tmc ft of water to Andhra Pradesh. "This government’s aim is to hand over Krishna waters to Andhra Pradesh. While it has declared a crop holiday in Mahbubnagar district, it has released water for a third crop in Andhra Pradesh — and now, once again, it is trying to release water to Andhra Pradesh," he charged.
Highlighting the ongoing drought, Harish Rao noted that despite good monsoon rains in neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka, most parts of Telangana are facing water scarcity. Farmers are struggling with failed crops and are hesitant to sow seeds due to below-average rainfall, while many areas are also experiencing drinking water shortages.