HYDERABAD: The National Green Tribunal’s directive on Thursday to the Telangana government not to proceed with construction of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS) till it secures all required permissions came as a shock to the state government. However, Irrigation minister T Harish Rao termed it as a temporary hurdle and added that the government would move the Supreme Court, challenging the NGT’s directive.Responding to NGT’s order, Harish Rao said they would knock doors of Supreme Court against NGT’s order. Rao, who was on a tour of Nalgonda, said Congress leaders were deriving ‘sadistic pleasure’ from NGT’s order.
He recalled that KLIS was not a new project but a new avatar of Pranahita-Chevella project which received permissions in the past. “KLIS is an important project for supplying drinking water under Mission Bhagiratha,” he said and recalled that the then Congress government had failed to make any progress on the project. “Our government negotiated with Maharashtra government and is constructing KLIS,” Rao claimed.
KLIS chief engineer B Hari Ram said the present KLIS works were intended to draw drinking water and the irrigation-related works would be taken up after securing the forest and environmental clearances. “We feel that NGT was not satisfied with our argument and issued stay orders,” he said. The public hearings for environmental clearance for KLIS were completed in all the 15 affected districts. The public hearing process was completed in Maharashtra too, Hari said and hoped that KLIS would get all the required permissions at the earliest.
Mallanna sagar oustees celebrate
The oustees of Mallanna Sagar reservoir, which is part of Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, are jubilant at NGT ordering immediate halt to the construction of Kaleshwaram project. As the news spread, oustees from all villages facing submergence under Mallanna Sagar project gathered at the venue of relay hunger strike in Vemulaghat and burst crackers and celebrated the decision. The petitioner in the case, Hayat Uddin, a farmer, hails from Vemulaghat village which faces submergence in the event of the Mallanna Sagar reservoir coming up. Oustees in their WhatsApp group expressed confidence that justice would prevail and people fighting for justice would win.