Fill reservoirs, tanks for summer: CM KCR to officials

CM asks officials to start pumping water from brimming Kaleshwaram project to cater to needs of people in the State

Hyderabad: With all the major barrages on the mega Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) reaching Full Reservoir Levels (FRLs) and at this time of the year, it has been proved beyond doubt that the ingenuity behind the redesigning of the complex irrigation project that included construction of Lakshmi barrage at Medigadda, the confluence point of rivers Godavari and Prahanitha, was just what Telangana required to transform it from a parched region into a lush green State.

A visibly elated Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who personally saw the barrage brimming with water on Tuesday, directed irrigation officials to start pumping water from the project to fill reservoirs, tanks and other inter-connected water bodies in the State to cater to the needs of the people throughout the coming summer. He also instructed the authorities concerned to expedite construction of other major projects in the State, drawing inspiration from the Kaleshwaram project.

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The Chief Minister, who visited Lakshmi Barrage, inspected the operations of the Kaleshwaram project, and later during a review meeting with irrigation officials, recalled the experiences he had encountered during the project construction. “Telangana farmers suffered due to lack of irrigation facility for decades. To fully achieve the objective of Statehood for Telangana, the State government decided to provide adequate irrigation facilities for farmers to cultivate two crops a year,” he said.

“We devised a plan to construct a barrage at the confluence point of Godavari and Pranahita Rivers to facilitate pumping of enough water to upstream areas for a longer period. We conducted a scientific survey with Water and Power Consultancy Services Limited (WAPCOS) and decided to build a barrage at Medigadda point. The construction of the barrage at a height of about 100 metres with a water storage capacity of 16.17 tmc, was estimated to pump water for about seven months. All the construction activities went as planned and our expectations have been met with water level reaching 99.7 m and water being pumped smoothly without any trouble,” he said.

Rao observed that from Medigadda point upto 54 km in Pranahita River and upto 42 km in Godavari River, water was filled to the brim. He pointed out that reservoirs like Yellampally, Mid Manair Dam, Lower Manair Dam, Mallanna Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar, Baswapur and Gandhamalla reservoirs, can now receive water from Medigadda at any time of the year. “Arrangements are also being made to pump irrigation water to Nizamsagar from Kaleswaram project, while water can be pumped to Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) from the Kaleshwaram project, if required,” he said.

Why Medigadda point was chosen?

Pranahitha is a perennial river that has water flowing through it even during peak summer. Due to incessant rains during the recent monsoon, water in sub-surface areas got accumulated in upstream areas and flowed into the Pranahitha River. As a result, water flowed in huge quantities at the confluence of rivers Pranahitha and Godavari at Medigadda point filling Lakshmi Barrage to the brim. It was for this precise reason that the State government chose Medigadda for construction of Lakshmi Barrage.

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Also read:

CM KCR performs puja at Kaleshwaram temple

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