“With around 36 lakh acres getting irrigation water, Kaleshwaram Project (KLIS) is like a sanjeevani for Telangana. All the efforts to criticize the project appear to be aimed at sowing seeds of confusion among people.” – M Shyamprasad Reddy, Association General Secretary, Telangana Retired Engineers Association.
Opposition parties are making false allegations again Kaleshwaram Project as an attempt to malign the government. Following are the facts about the Kaleshwaram Project.
Q1.) Why inaugurate Kaleshwaram project when only 15% of its work was completed?
Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is an Engineering marvel and the biggest irrigation project taken up by any state in India. With an estimated cost of Rs. 80,000 crores, the project is aimed to irrigate around 37 lakh acres in the 20 districts of Telangana. Kaleshwaram Project is divided into ‘7’ links and ‘28’ packages and has a length of water supply route 1,832 kilometers. With 20 lifts and 19 pumphouses, the project consists of 19 reservoirs.
The project’s critics fail to get their facts right. Almost 64 percent of all Kaleshwaram project system works had been completed so far and not 15 percent as was being claimed by some.
Q2.) Why release water even before the Kaleshwaram project was totally completed?
It is a common practice to release water in phases from irrigation projects under construction. In fact, in the case of Sri Ram Sagar Project, water was released in about eight phases. It was common to supply water from projects to fill downstream reservoirs through canals completed until then. Even in the case of the Nagarjuna Sagar project, when water was released, not even one-fourth of the project’s canals were completed.
Q3.) Why did Telangana Govt spend Rs 50, 000 crore and completed only 15% of the project’s works until now?
It’s absolutely baseless allegation. First of all, more than 90 percent of work has been completed between the Medigadda barrage and Yellampalli reservoir which cost about Rs 11,000 crore. The allegation that the government spent Rs 50,000 crore on the same 15% of the project work is completely false.
Q4.) Why did the project cost increase from what was allocated?
In 2010, Rs. 40, 000 crores was allocated for the construction of Pranahitha- Chevella project. But the actual cost increased to Rs. 65, 000 crores and the project was supposed to provide water only to 16 lakh acres in the state and for only one crop. But Kaleshwaram Project was redesigned in such a way that the project could supply water to two crops. Hence, it is normal for the project cost to increase from Rs. 40, 000 crore to Rs. 80, 000 crores.
Q5.) Under Kaleshwaram project, electricity charges are expected to be Rs. 40, 000 to Rs. 50, 000 per acre. Is it true?
No. The electricity charges per acre will not exceed Rs. 1200 to Rs. 1500. Apart from agriculture, the Kaleshwaram project will widely benefit other sectors like agriculture-based industries, tourism, and aquaculture in the region.