War Of Words Over Kaleshwaram: Uttam accuses KTR of spreading lies

Hyderabad: Who knows more about dams, dam engineering and dam safety? The politicians or the experts of the National Dam Safety Authority, the apex body on such issues?

BRS working president K T Rama Rao claims that they had given best irrigation project Kaleshwaram on a golden platter to the Congress government but it is their ‘alter ego’ that was preventing them from releasing water for irrigation purposes.

But the government claims that the so-called golden platter was not pure gold. According to Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, it is the ego of the BRS leader which was forcing him to make false claims. He said if the government followed the advice of the BRS, several villages would be inundated and would suffer severely.

Uttam told media persons on Friday that Rama Rao had lost mental balance and spreading false information by organizing a picnic with his party leaders at the project site. He dubbed KTR as Joseph Goebbels for ‘politicising' the issue of release of Godavari water from Medigadda barrage. He said the government was strictly following the recommendations of the NDSA (National Dam Safety Authority) in the restoration of the three damaged barrages – Medigadda, Annaram and Sundialla on Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.

The NDSA recommended that the barrages should be put in free flow condition to avoid further damage of the structures during the heavy flows. He explained that the leakages were noticed when water level reached 5-meter height at Annaram and 9 meters at Sundilla. It would not be possible to release water from the two barrages unless the leakages were plugged, he added.

The minister also announced that steps were being taken to lift the heavy inflows from Yellampally and Mid Manair dam in two or three days. This water will be lifted to Ananthagiri, Kondapochamma Sagar and Mallanna Sagar reservoirs and fill them with water to meet irrigation needs in the current agricultural season.

Uttam held former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao responsible for the damage of the piers of the Medigadda and leakages to the two other barrages. “KCR, to satisfy his ego and for sake of commissions had shelved the Pranahita – Chevella lift scheme, went in for the Kaleshwaram project against the recommendations of the NDSA.

This resulted in a multi-crore scam and the final output was state being pushed into heavy debt burden,” Uttam alleged. The present government now has to shell out Rs 10,000 crore to pay power bills to run all pumps of the project, he added.

Quoting the CAG report, the minister said the report had made it clear that this project had left a financial burden of Rs 1.40 lakh crore on the state and that it was a criminal waste of money done by the KCR government.

Uttam reiterated that his government is committed to construct Tummidihatti and revive Pranahita-Chevella lift scheme which was envisaged by the Congress government in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.