Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of neglecting the need for a report from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) to carry out necessary repairs. He warned that the government would be responsible if anything happened to the Medigadda barrage.
Rao criticized Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy’s comments about former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao spending excessive government funds on commissions for the Kaleswaram project. Reddy had a high-level meeting in Delhi on Saturday to discuss Telangana’s irrigation projects with the NDSA.
In response, Rao refrained from commenting on the Kaleshwaram project’s construction. He urged Reddy to halt political criticism and concentrate on making Kaleshwaram operational again.
Rao pointed out Reddy’s inconsistent statements during the Delhi meeting. Reddy claimed all measures were taken, yet stated soil tests at Medigadda were not possible. Rao criticized the government for not completing these technical tests before floods and blamed the NDSA for not providing safety suggestions.
Rao highlighted the government’s failure in obtaining the necessary report. He mentioned Reddy’s plan to build a new project at Tummidihatti and challenged him to disclose the height of the proposed barrage.
Rao questioned if Reddy had convinced Maharashtra about building the barrage at 152 meters and reminded him of past failures in this regard. He also noted that even if a barrage is built at Tummidihatti, water would not reach Yellampalli by gravity without a lift.
Rao emphasized that re-engineering efforts have improved reservoir water storage without affecting water pumping from Yellampalli. He stated that both Pranahita-Chevella and Kaleshwaram are multi-stage lift irrigation schemes with comparable electricity costs.
