KARIMNAGAR: Stepping up their defence of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), senior BRS leaders on Sunday criticised the present Congress government and its ministers for what they termed “misleading” remarks about the project.
As part of the party’s “Kaleshwaram Bata” programme, former MP B Vinod Kumar, MLAs Gangula Kamalakar, MLC L Ramana, former MLAs and other senior leaders visited the Yellampally backwaters, Nandi-Medaram and Laxmipur pump houses to explain to the people the functioning of the irrigation project.
Later addressing the media, Vinod Kumar described the Kaleshwaram project as a “landmark irrigation scheme constructed during the BRS regime under the leadership of K Chandrashekar Rao”.
He alleged that the Congress leaders’ criticism of the project reflects their lack of understanding of its engineering design.
Describing Kaleshwaram as a matter of Telangana’s self-respect, he termed as “ridiculous” the comments passed by several ministers on the project without understanding concepts such as gravity canals.
Refuting allegations that there is no gravity canal between Medigadda and the Gayatri pump house, Vinod Kumar explained that water is lifted in stages from Medigadda to Yellampally at about 140 metres, then to the Nandi-Medaram pump house at around 230 metres, and further to the Gayatri pump house near Ramadugu at approximately 331 metres. From the Gayatri pump house, he said, water flows through a gravity canal into the Mid Manair Reservoir.
The BRS leaders alleged that Telangana was facing drought conditions due to the Congress government’s failure to effectively operate the irrigation system.
They demanded that the government run the pump house motors regularly to fill reservoirs across north Telangana and ensure adequate irrigation and drinking water supply.
