"kaleshwaram-lift-irrigation-scheme"

KTR lashed out at the Congress government for inviting tenders worth Rs.1,074 crore for construction of distributory canals of the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme without necessary approvals.

Operation and Maintenance Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) Nagender Rao faced a barrage of questions from the commission, reportedly answering over 130 questions during the three-hour session

Officials have expressed concerns that there would be no water supply for Rabi crops under the project, except for pockets where reservoirs linked with KLIS are left with little surplus after supporting Kharif ayacut for another 45 days.

The three barrages- Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla have remained idle since they were emptied for inspection and rehabilitation in April and May, leaving the Rabi ayacut without irrigation support.

Farmers facing displacement are mounting pressure on the administration and their elected representatives, urging a more humane approach to the land acquisition process

The open inquiry session focused on the structural integrity and safety protocols of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages. Justice Ghose inquired whether model studies were conducted as required before the construction of the barrages.

"How can the irrigation department pump in 21 TMCft of water into Mallanna Sagar if KLIS is a failure? Harish Rao questioned.

This comes after a key meeting on Thursday between Justice Ghose and Irrigation Secretary Rahul Bojja, where they discussed the progress of the final reports from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and the vigilance department, both of which are conducting simultaneous investigations into the project, sources revealed.

The State government has decided to seek its final report to decide the way forward on the rehabilitation of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.

Critics argue that the NDSA report was designed to benefit the ruling party at the Centre, with allegations on planning, design, construction quality, and management errors.

Irrigation authorities in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are taking precautionary measures to handle the increasing flood flow by scaling up discharges at key projects

The Vigilance and Enforcement Wing’s investigation into the construction of Medigadda barrage and other key components of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation scheme is in the final stage. Government sources said its report is getting the finishing touches.

BRS leader and former Minister G Jagadish Reddy wanted irrigation authorities to appraise the NDSA of the situation prevailing under the reservoirs fed by the KLIS and obtain permission to make use of all the KLIS barrages.

The Yellampalli project plays a crucial role in supplying drinking water to Hyderabad. The HMWSSB draws water from the Yellampalli reservoir to meet the city’s needs.

A team of officials from the Irrigation Department will leave for New Delhi next week to submit the report and seek the way forward for resuming the pumping operations at the barrages.

Clarification comes in the backdrop of rumours that piers had once again sunk in the barrage

The Commission, which was expected to submit its report by June 30, is in fact, halfway through its inquiry process.

Officials who could not complete the task in the day are likely to seek more time for submitting affidavits.

The engineers and officials testified before the Commission have been asked to submit their version of the issues involved in the construction of the project in writing on or before June 25.

The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) has already been engaged in intensive studies on the barrages.