HYDERABAD: Slamming the state government over its “handling” of the Kaleshwaram and Devadula projects, BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday alleged that the irrigation officials were operating the massive motors of these schemes in an unscientific manner, repeatedly switching them on and off in violation of established norms.
In a letter to Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, the Siddipet MLA said: “It has come to my notice that frequent starting and stopping of pumps is being carried out at Chandlapur and other pumping stations of Kaleshwaram, including Packages 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12, as well as Devadula Phase-3 and other similar projects. This raises serious technical as well as governance concerns.”
“Are you aware of the repeated on-and-off operation of high-capacity lift irrigation pumps being undertaken across these critical projects? Don’t you know that such a mode of operation is fundamentally against engineering design principles and is likely to cause progressive damage to pumps, impellers, shear pins, shafts and associated electro-mechanical systems?” Harish asked in his letter.
The BRS leader recalled that technical experts, during the installation and commissioning of these pumps, informed that such systems were designed strictly for continuous operation and not for frequent start-stop cycles.
“In such a system, each startup results in severe vibrations, hydraulic transients, and water hammer effects. Repeated start-stop operations under these conditions impose abnormal stress on impellers, shafts, bearings, and shear mechanisms, making the practice technically unsound and highly risky. Any deviation from the prescribed operational protocols directly compromises system integrity, increases maintenance burden, and threatens long-term sustainability,” he said.
Harish urged Uttam to take immediate steps to stop the practice of the frequent starting and stopping of pumps.
“Irrigation infrastructure of Telangana is a lifeline for lakhs of farmers. Any mismanagement, whether due to lack of understanding or otherwise, would have serious consequences on public finances and agricultural stability. Immediate intervention and corrective action is sought to safeguard these critical assets and ensure that governance is guided by technical prudence and accountability,” he added in his letter.