Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has set the date for the inaugural of the mega lift irrigation project that would provide drinking water and irrigate 70% of the drylands of Telangana.
The Chief Minister, who completed the project in just three years of time is inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the launch and has already invited Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. He is also travelling to Vijayawada to invite his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh, YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
The Kaleswaram project, often described as a “man-made wonder,” is a major lift irrigation project in the country which is being constructed on a fast track as per the schedule. Water from the river Godavari at Medigadda, which is 100 meters above sea level, is lifted at six stages and supplied to Kondapochamma Sagar, which is at a height of 618 meters.
In other words, the water from the Godavari River is being lifted to a height of half a kilometre. The pump houses are being constructed to lift 2 TMC of water every day this year. Preparations are also on to lift 3 TMC of water from the next year. To lift such a huge quantum of water, the biggest and largest pumps are being used for the first time in the country.
The Telangana state government entered into an agreement with the Maharashtra state government on March 8, 2016, putting an end to decades-old differences and objections over the issue, paving the way for construction of the project at Medigadda.
On May 2, 2016, KCR laid the foundation stone at Kannepally for the project. In three years, major components such as barrages, pump houses and construction of the reservoirs are being fast-tracked.
The barrages are constructed at Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla. Water from these barrages will be utilised to fill Yellampally and Sriram Sagar Projects. With this, the Godavari River will be alive in 199 Kms stretch in the Telangana state.
Through the Kaleswaram project, an additional 20 lakh acres of land in Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Siddipet, Medak, Yadadri, Nalgonda, Sangareddy, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Kamareddy, Nirmal, Medchal, and Peddapally constituencies will be provided with water.
In other words, crops will be cultivated in 80 Lakh acres every year. This is precisely the reason why Kaleswaram Project will become “a benevolent boon.”