Harish Rao, a former minister and leader of the BRS, has strongly defended the Kaleshwaram project after facing criticism. At a presentation in Telangana Bhavan, he explained that the project has successfully provided water to 2.033 million acres.
He mentioned that the project moved forward smoothly, with no objections from Maharashtra. Within 45 days of the government’s formation, Rao addressed concerns by meeting with representatives from Maharashtra.
The Kaleshwaram project includes three barrages, fifteen reservoirs, nineteen substations, twenty-one pump houses, 203 kilometers of tunnels, 1,531 kilometers of gravity canals, 98 kilometers of pressure mains, and a storage capacity of 141 TMC. Water is lifted to heights of 530 meters. Originally, the project aimed to draw water from Tammidihati to Yellampalli, but due to less water availability, it shifted to Medigadda. The Medigadda barrage consists of seven blocks supported by 85 piers.
Rao countered claims by the Congress that farming thrived without the project. He stressed that the project enabled crop production in the Yasangi season. Water is sourced from three locations, filling thousands of tanks. “Everything from Medigadda to Mallanna Sagar is operational,” Rao stated. The project’s canal alone is set to irrigate 90,000 acres.
