Kaleshwaram Projects Not Abandoned, Says Revanth
Revanth Reddy said that the government would not hesitate to knock on the doors of the courts to protect Telangana’s interests in the utilisation of both Krishna and Godavari waters, if the discussions failed.
WARANGAL: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday said that the state government had no intention of abandoning the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS), despite the failure at three of its barrages, even though the state had achieved record levels of paddy production over the past two years without using any water from the scheme.
Revanth Reddy said that the government was focused on carrying out repairs to the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages on a scientific basis, with expert committees and agencies examining subterranean changes at the sites to prevent future disasters. “Kaleshwaram was built with the people’s money, not private property. Our people’s government will bring it back into use after ensuring its safety,” he said.
He was speaking after a detailed review of the Devadula project after visiting the site. Revanth Reddy said that all ongoing and pending projects on the River Godavari, from the Tummidihatti barrage to Bhadrachalam, would be fast-tracked for completion. He also said the government was ready to resolve water-sharing disputes through dialogue with neighbouring states.
Revanth Reddy said that the government would not hesitate to knock on the doors of the courts to protect Telangana’s interests in the utilisation of both Krishna and Godavari waters, if the discussions failed.
Revanth Reddy ridiculed the allegations levelled by the Opposition that the state government was cooperating with Andhra Pradesh in the matter of sharing river waters. He questioned the logic behind such claims, asking if any public representative from Telangana would ever undermine their own state’s interests.
Dismissing the accusations as cheap politics, Revanth Reddy stated that the state government was open to a full-scale debate on Godavari water issues in the Assembly, similar to the one recently held regarding the River Krishna.
On the Devadula project, Revanth Reddy pointed out that the foundation for the scheme was laid by then-chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2001 in undivided Andhra Pradesh but remained incomplete a quarter of a century later. He highlighted that the project’s estimated cost had ballooned from ₹6,000 crore to ₹18,500 crore due to deliberate neglect by the previous BRS administration.
The Chief Minister slammed the then BRS government for failing to complete major projects like the Pranahita, Sriramsagar and Devadula during its 10-year tenure. He said that Telangana could have utilised an additional 967 tmc ft of water had these resources been managed efficiently.
He announced a stringent timeline for administrative actions. A sum of ₹600 crore will be sanctioned for land acquisition by June 2 for the Devadula project. A specialised corpus fund will be created to ensure that land compensation is cleared via a green channel. Revanth Reddy directed officials to present pending Budget proposals for approval during a special Cabinet meeting to be held in March, and issued a 30-day deadline for the repair of all non-functional pumps at the Devadula site.
Revanth Reddy stated that the ultimate goal of the state government was to provide irrigation to every acre and drinking water to every citizen. He invited the Opposition to offer constructive suggestions rather than false propaganda, noting that the government is willing to rectify mistakes to ensure state development. “Our goal is clear and we are confident that the Congress will remain in power until 2034 to see these promises through,” he said.
