HYDERABAD: BRS MLA and former minister T Harish Rao on Friday said that the “third tmcft” component was incorporated in Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme only to protect the rights of Telangana in Godavari river.
He said that the then CM K Chandrasekhar Rao took this decision keeping in mind the state’s requirements for the next 100 years.
Harish was addressing the gathering during a programme organised by the Telangana Vikasa Samithi, where he unveiled two books — Saguneeti rangamlo Telangana padella prasthanam and Kaleshwaram Project: Prasnalu, Vimarsalu, Vakreekaranalu, Vivaranalu — authored by retired irrigation engineer and former OSD (Irrigation) to CM, Sridhar Rao Deshpande.
He also said that the Kaleshwaram project was completed with “the lowest cost escalation”. The former minister wondered how the Congress government would divert 20 tmcft water from Mallannasagar to Hyderabad if Kaleshwaram has collapsed.
Disputing Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy’s claim that water cannot be stored in the barrages, Harish Rao said that the barrages could store more than two tmcft.
He alleged that the state government failed to stop the government of AP from proceeding with the proposed Godavari-Banakacherla project.
He also claimed that the previous BRS government completed 80 per cent of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project works.