Congress, BRS spar over providing water from Kaleshwaram project

Hyderabad, Jul 26 (PTI) The ruling Congress and opposition BRS in Telangana were engaged in a war of words on Friday over providing water from the Kaleshwaram project which has suffered damage.

BRS Working President and MLA K T Rama Rao said if the state government fails to lift water from the Kaleshwaram project by August 2, the party would switch on the motors "with 50,000 farmers".

Rao, who led a team of BRS MLAs and other leaders to the Kaleshwaram project on Thursday, alleged that a situation of crops withering away arose due to lack of water in Sriram Sagar, LMD (Lower Manair Dam) and others, a release from his office said.

After visiting a pump house at Kannepally village on Friday, he said 10 lakh cusecs of water are going waste at the Medigadda barrage of the Kaleshwaram project.

If that water is lifted on time, water shortage can be prevented by filling up Sriram Sagar, LMD, Mid Manair, Ranganayaka Sagar and other reservoirs, he said.

He alleged that the government is not lifting water due to anger and political vendetta towards BRS president and former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Taking strong exception to Rao's comments, state Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that "KCR and company have destroyed the irrigation sector" in the state.

By spending about Rs 95,000 crore on Kaleshwaram, the new ayacut created was only 93,000 acres, he said and added that Rs 31,000 crore was spent on Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project and a new ayacut of not even one acre was created.

"During the last 10 years, because of KCR and company's avarice, Rs 1.81 lakh crore was spent on irrigation, only nominal ayacut was realised," he said.

Reddy pointed out that the Medigadda barrage was built during the BRS regime. Some portion of the barrage had sunk, he said.

The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) which inspected the barrage before the Congress government assumed office, stated that the barrage suffered damage due to poor design, construction and operational maintenance, he pointed out.

If water is stored to the full in the Medigadda barrage and pumped as demanded by BRS, it would lead to extensive losses if any accident happens to the barrage, he said.

The Sammakka Sarakka barrage would be washed away, the Sitaram Sagar project would be damaged, 44 villages along the course would suffer damage and that the temple town of Bhadrachalam would get filled with water, Reddy said.

"When there is possibility of such a danger, why do they (BRS) go there often and say 'you switch on these pumps, otherwise, we will switch on'. It is you who destroyed. On top of that, you question why pumps are not being switched on," he said.

The Irrigation minister made it clear that the government would keep the gates of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages (of Kaleshwaram project) open as per the advice of NDSA.

The government would start pumping water from the Yellampally project in a couple of days (to cater to water needs), he added.

The damage to the Medigadda barrage during the BRS regime was a major poll issue in last year's Legislative Assembly elections. PTI SJR SJR KH