BRS flags Kaleshwaram neglect, seeks Centre’s intervention for repairs

BRS leader KR Suresh Reddy said the Telangana Congress government has failed to repair minor structural damage at the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project despite expert recommendations and available Central funds, affecting farmers and reducing agricultural output

New Delhi: BRS Parliamentary Party leader KR Suresh Reddy on Thursday said the Congress government in Telangana had failed to carry out repairs to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, despite expert recommendations and the availability of Central funds. The delay in addressing minor structural damage at the Medigadda barrage was hurting farmers and affecting agricultural output, he said in the Rajya Sabha.

“National Dam Safety Authority and Justice PC Ghose Commission had recommended repairs, and Rs 100 crore had been provided under a Central rehabilitation programme two years ago. But not a single rupee has been spent so far,” he alleged, adding that underutilisation of the project was affecting farmers and reducing agricultural productivity. He sought the Centre’s intervention to expedite restoration and ensure effective utilisation of the project.

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Participating in the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha, Suresh Reddy linked rising inequality in India to agrarian distress, inefficient water use and the absence of clear land ownership reforms. He pointed out that nearly half of India’s workforce depends on agriculture, despite the sector contributing less than one-fifth to GDP. He warned that rural incomes would stagnate without improved irrigation access.

He urged the Centre to build political consensus to resolve inter-State river water disputes and to focus on maximising water-use efficiency until long-term solutions are found. Referring to Telangana’s irrigation initiatives under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, he said improved water management practices had expanded irrigation coverage beyond conventional norms.

Suresh Reddy stated that large-scale restoration of minor irrigation tanks under Mission Kakatiya, along with the Kaleshwaram project, helped transform the drought-prone State into a leading rice producer.

He also called for conclusive land titling reforms, arguing that unclear ownership fuels disputes, litigation and criminalisation in politics. He cited Telangana’s Dharani land records system as a national model for transparent and reliable land documentation.