HYDERABAD: Refuting the allegations of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the submergence of Kaleshwaram pump houses in the recent floods, Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday said that the submergence was due to the unprecedented floods and not due to any faulty design or quality of construction.
Speaking to reporters here, Harish said the Union Minister’s allegations were ‘irresponsible’.“As the State government was thoroughly exposing the anti-people policies of the BJP-led Union government, the Union Minister made such remarks against the Kaleshwaram project,” he said.
Harish recalled that the Prime Minister and several Union Ministers had heaped praises on the Kaleshwaram project in the past. “Nitin Gadkari termed Kaleshwaram as ‘growth engine’, he reminded, adding that the chairpersons of the Central Water Commission and Power Finance Corporation had also supported the project.
Harish also played videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gadkari and others’ speeches on Kaleshwaram during the press conference.“The Union Ministers said on the floor of Parliament that there was no corruption in Kaleshwaram,” Harish said.
He said that the CWC recorded the highest level of 107.05 metres in Godavari Kaleshwaram in 1986. “But, this year due to the unprecedented floods, the level recorded was 108.2 metres, which is 1.2 metres higher than the level of 1986. That was why pump houses were submerged,” the Minister explained.
He added that the Annaram pump house was safe and there was no damage. Of the 17 pumps at Kannepalli, only three were damaged, he said. “The damage was due to the disaster and not due to the lapses in design or construction,” Harish said.
“Two of the 21 pump houses were submerged. But, some are campaigning in a manner that the entire project was submerged,” Harish said, adding that the damaged pump houses would be repaired within one-and-a-half months.