BRS leader Harish Rao refutes Telangana Congress government’s claims on Kaleshwaram water lifting data

Criticises Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy for spreading false information about the project; defends KLIS' achievements with official data, calls for factual discourse, urges transparency over politically motivated allegations

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on the Congress government for its alleged misinformation campaign regarding the strides made by the BRS regime in key sectors, BRS leader and former Minister T Harish Rao accused Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy of spreading false and misleading information about the Kaleshwaram Project.

In a strongly worded response, Harish urged Uttam Kumar to stop what he termed a “Goebbels-style propaganda” campaign and instead present accurate facts to the public. He directly challenged Uttam Kumar’s claim that only 162 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water was lifted at Medigadda over five years.

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“If that’s true, what about the water lifted from Yellampalli to Mid Manair, a key part of the Kaleshwaram system? Why the silence on volumes lifted from the Lakshmi, Saraswati, Parvati, Nandi, and Gayatri pump houses?” he questioned.

Citing official records, Harish detailed the project’s achievements in its first three years up to 2022-23: 162.41 TMC lifted from Medigadda, 172.86 TMC from Annaram, 172.12 TMC from Sundilla, 181.70 TMC from Nandi Medaram Pump House, and 179.41 TMC from Gayatri Pump House. “These are real figures, backed by data. If you’re unaware, consult your engineers before misleading the public,” he advised Uttam Kumar.

He further explained that irrigation projects inherently take time to reach full capacity. “It’s a universal truth that canal networks are completed gradually, expanding the irrigated area over time,” Harish said.

He drew parallels with historical projects: the Sriramsagar Project (SRSP), launched in 1963, irrigated only 25,000 acres by 1975 against a target of 9 lakh acres; the Nagarjuna Sagar Project, started in 1955, reached just 98,842 acres via the left canal by 1966 out of 5 lakh acres; the Kalwakurthy Project, begun in 1984, covered 13,000 acres by 2014 against 3.3 lakh acres; and the Devadula Project, initiated in 2001, served 45,000 acres by 2014 out of 6 lakh acres.

Harish also criticised Uttam Kumar’s party for prioritising tail-end works without completing head works, alleging that the move was “driven by commissions, not commitment.”

He urged him to stop making baseless claims and to respect facts. “The people deserve truth, not propaganda,” Harish asserted, calling for transparency and accountability in the discourse surrounding the Kaleshwaram Project.