The Telangana Irrigation minister, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, has announced that the government will investigate alleged corruption in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP). This comes after damage was caused to the Medigadda (Lakshmi) barrage of the Kaleshwaram Project last month. The minister has warned that strict action will be taken against officials found to be responsible.
In addition, the Congress-led government has decided to take up the DR BR Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella project, which was previously shelved by the BRS government. This project was originally conceived by the Congress government in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.
Uttam Kumar Reddy held a review meeting with senior irrigation officials to discuss the power consumption of projects and the status of various projects, including Kaleshwaram, Palamuru Rangareddy, and Sitarama. He specifically requested details on Kaleshwaram and Medigadda and ordered officials to inspect the Medigadda barrage soon. The minister emphasized the importance of transparency in the irrigation department and stated that projects should be conducted with responsibility and accountability.
Furthermore, the government will fight for Telangana’s rightful share of Krishna water and will seek national project status for the Palamuru Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project. Pending projects that can provide more water at a lower cost will be given priority, and efforts will be made to improve existing water bodies and ponds in the state.
