Chief Minister Urges BJP MP Etela Rajender to Take Delegation to Delhi; Says Water Lifting from Kannepalli Is Technically Not Feasible
HYDERABAD | July 11 | THE JOURNALIST POST
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the State Government is prepared to rehabilitate the damaged Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in accordance with the recommendations of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and its expert technical committee.
Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister called upon BJP MP Etela Rajender to lead a delegation to New Delhi and apprise the NDSA of the present condition of the three barrages. He also urged the MP to persuade the Union Government to approve a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project.
Revanth Reddy asserted that the government is strictly following the recommendations issued by the NDSA and dismissed demands for immediate water storage and pumping operations as technically unviable. Referring to the NDSA’s findings, he said the authority concluded that the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages are presently unsafe for water storage and diversion until restoration works are completed with the approval of the NDSA and the Central Water Commission (CWC).
The Chief Minister maintained that the government is even willing to entrust the rehabilitation of the barrages to the NDSA if the agency agrees to undertake the restoration work.
Explaining the technical constraints, Revanth Reddy said a minimum water level of 93.50 metres is required to operate the Kannepalli (Lakshmi) Pump House, whereas the present water level is around 89.90 metres. He stated that even if water is available at Medigadda, it cannot be pumped because the required operating level has not been reached. He further noted that storing water at the Annaram and Sundilla barrages would require closing their gates, an action that the NDSA has advised against due to safety concerns.
The Chief Minister said the NDSA’s preliminary and final reports identified structural damage, including defects in foundations and the seventh block of the Medigadda barrage. He also referred to the Union Government’s decision to constitute a special technical committee on June 30, 2026, to oversee the restoration of the three barrages, including technical designs, quality control, and rehabilitation works.
Launching a political attack on the BRS, Revanth Reddy alleged that its leaders were misleading the public by demanding immediate water lifting from Kannepalli despite expert advice to the contrary. He criticised what he described as a misinformation campaign regarding the operational status of the project and urged political leaders to rely on expert reports before making public statements.
The Chief Minister also questioned the Union Government over the delay in ordering a CBI investigation into the alleged Kaleshwaram scam. He pointed out that the Telangana Government had already issued Government Order No. 104 on September 1, 2025, recommending that the case be handed over to the CBI, but no action had yet been taken.
Tracing the history of the project, Revanth Reddy recalled that the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project was inaugurated in June 2019 and that engineering officials had reported defects in the Medigadda barrage within a year of its commissioning. He alleged that those warnings were ignored by the previous administration, ultimately leading to the sinking of the barrage piers in October 2023. He added that subsequent inspections by the NDSA identified shortcomings in planning, design, construction, and maintenance.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the State Government would continue to follow scientific recommendations and national dam safety standards before taking any decision on restoring operations at the Kaleshwaram barrages.
