Harish Rao Defends Kaleshwaram Project, Accuses Congress of Misinformation and Mismanagement
Hyderabad, Telangana – Former irrigation minister and senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader T Harish Rao launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, accusing them of spreading misinformation and diverting attention from the facts surrounding the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). He asserted that the previous BRS regime had significantly advanced Telangana’s irrigation sector, while the Congress, in its 18 months in power, has mismanaged the sector and resorted to baseless allegations to mask its inefficiencies.
Rao’s remarks came during the launch of two books on Telangana’s irrigation journey, one of which specifically addresses the controversies and criticisms surrounding the KLIS. He defended the project’s planning and execution, emphasizing that decisions regarding the Medigadda barrage location, project cost, and other aspects were made after thorough consultations with experts, including WAPCOS and a committee of retired irrigation engineers. He clarified that these experts only raised concerns about the pumping methodology, not the barrage site itself.
Rao further targeted the Congress for its inaction on the Pranahitha-Chevella project, which saw its foundation laid in 2004 under the then-Congress government but remained stagnant for a decade. He criticized the Congress for leveling corruption charges against the BRS, highlighting that it was their own government that paid ₹2,700 crore in mobilization advances without any substantial work being executed. He also addressed the alleged misinformation surrounding survey costs, clarifying that the actual expenditure was ₹6.77 crore, not ₹677 crore as misreported by some media outlets.
The BRS leader highlighted the KLIS’s achievements, claiming it created new irrigation potential for 18.27 lakh acres and stabilized irrigation for another 18.87 lakh acres, benefiting over 37 lakh acres in total. He emphasized the construction of reservoirs with a capacity of 141 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) to secure future water needs. Addressing criticism of the Mallanna Sagar reservoir, Rao pointed out the irony of the Congress government drawing drinking water for Hyderabad from the same reservoir while simultaneously criticizing it.
Rao shifted his focus to Krishna river water usage, stating that Telangana utilized 36% of its allocated share under BRS rule, compared to only 27% under Congress rule. He criticized the Congress for failing to fully utilize its 34% entitlement, while Andhra Pradesh used 715 tmc compared to Telangana’s 275 tmc. He demanded that the Congress government raise this issue with the Krishna River Management Board and convene an Apex Council meeting under the Union Jal Shakti Minister as stipulated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He also questioned the Congress’s silence on Andhra Pradesh’s plans to divert Godavari waters through the Jalaharathi project.
Rao’s forceful defense of the KLIS and his accusations against the Congress government come at a time of heightened political tension in Telangana. With both parties vying for public support, the debate over the KLIS and the state’s overall irrigation strategy is likely to continue to be a focal point of political discourse. The launch of the two books on irrigation further adds to the ongoing conversation and provides detailed accounts of the project’s development and the controversies surrounding it. The public is now left to assess the competing narratives and determine the true impact of the KLIS on Telangana’s agricultural landscape.