Kaleshwaram project to be inaugurated today

The world’s largest lift irrigation project, Kaleshwaram, is set to be dedicated to the people on Friday by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.  He will inaugurate the project after performing a yagam at the Medigadda reservoir.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will attend as chief guests and Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao will grace the occasion.

The state government has completed the mega project at a cost of Rs 80,196 crore within three years after Mr Rao laid the foundation at Kannepally on May 2, 2016.

The government said the prestigious project will help extending irrigation to 37.08 lakh acres and provide water to stabilise about 18.82 lakh acres of aycut under the existing projects of Sriramsagar, Nizamsa-gar and Mid Manair.

The state government has claimed that the project is expected to supply water to 70 per



cent of the state’s districts. The project is also expected to cater to the drinking water needs of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

The project will cater to Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Siddipet, Medak, Yadadri, Nalgonda, Sangareddy, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Kamareddy, Nirmal, Medchal, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Warangal Urban and Rural, and Peddapally.

The project was designed to lift water in six stages from river Godavari at Medigadda, which is about 100 metres above sea level, and supply it to Kondapochammasagar, which is at a height of 618 metres, a total of 518 metres.

The project has the longest and biggest irrigation systems in the world with a length of 1,832 km, canal length of 1,531 km, tunnel length of 203 km, and pressure pipeline length of 98 km.

Though the project will be inaugurated on June 21, the state government has decided to pump the water to targeted districts from July this year.