Pumping from Kaleshwaram delayed due to political vendetta: KTR

Appealing to the State government to protect farmers’ interests, BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded that water should be filled up in all reservoirs in the State as there was scope for pumping sufficient water into the projects. Farmers in the State were distressed because the government had not started pumping water due to political vendetta, he said.

Speaking during a visit by a delegation of BRS MLAs and MLCs to the Lower Manair Dam (LMD) on Thursday, he pointed out the dry river bed of the LMD and said that last year during the same time, 12 TMC was available in the water body.

Officials said there was 45 percent deficit rainfall this season so far and though there was scope for more rainfall in the coming days, it would be wise to fill up the projects and meet the drinking water and irrigation water requirements, he said.

About one lakh cusecs of water was flowing downstream into the sea from Medigadda. As it is, the farming community was worried over water availability this season. Officials have informed that the State government has not taken any decision on pumping water, he said.

“It is high time that the State government sets aside politics and works to protect the



farmers’ interests. Elections are done and the false campaign by the Congress that Medigadda had blown away has now been washed away with the barrage standing strong despite steady inflows,” Rama Rao said, adding that a minor incident at Medigadda was exaggerated to label Kaleshwaram as a failed project with the Revanth Reddy government playing with the lives of lakhs of farmers for the last seven months.

The objective behind the visit was to enlighten the State government on the need to pump water and make optimum use of River Godavari water, he said.

By operating the Kannepally pump house, water could be pumped to fill up the Ranganayaka Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar and Mallanna Sagar.

“Out of a total capacity of 140 TMC in the reservoirs, not even 35 TMC are filled. There is ample opportunity to pump water extensively from Medigadda. Filling 50 TMC in Mallanna Sagar and 15 TMC in Kondapochamma Sagar will also solve the drinking water issues for Hyderabad. However, these efforts are being sidelined in a conspiracy to defame KCR,” he said.

If the SRSP and Kaleshwaram system reservoirs were filled up, it would provide 240 TMC of water. This would in turn facilitate water for 24 lakh acres, he added.