"kaleshwaram-project"

High Court posting the matter to January 2026

The Congress government plans to revive the Pranahita-Chevella project by merging it with Kaleshwaram. The redesigned plan bypasses coal zones in Adilabad, reduces costs by Rs 2,000 crore, and uses existing Kaleshwaram lifts for water transfer from Thummidi Hatti to Yellampalli

The Telangana government has invited Expressions of Interest to repair structural issues in the KLIP barrages, including Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla. While the process is open to all, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy’s preference for involving a top IIT has sparked debate over fairness in bidding.

The Medigadda barrage has successfully weathered its sixth consecutive flood season, handling massive inflows from the Godavari. Despite structural concerns in Block 7, the barrage continues to function, prompting the Telangana government to issue Expressions of Interest for rehabilitation designs.

As the Congress government invites bids to repair the Medigadda barrage ahead of local body elections, its leaders revisit years of criticism against the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. From Rahul Gandhi’s corruption allegations to Revanth Reddy’s calls for reconstruction and Uttam Kumar Reddy’s scathing remarks on financial waste, the KLIP remains a political flashpoint in Telangana’s irrigation narrative.

Two years after the collapse of piers at Medigadda barrage, the Telangana government has initiated rehabilitation efforts by inviting EOIs for design proposals. The move, timed ahead of local body elections, follows damning findings by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), which recommended urgent structural fixes across KLIP barrages.

Former MP B Vinod Kumar urged the Telangana government to immediately repair the Medigadda barrage of the Kaleshwaram project, warning of harm to farmers. He dismissed CM Revanth Reddy’s claim on Tummidihatti water flow and demanded answers from Congress on cross-voting allegations

BRS leader T Harish Rao launched a fierce attack on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accusing the Congress government of misrepresenting facts and claiming credit for irrigation projects executed under the BRS regime. He defended the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and Mallanna Sagar, highlighting technical details and past investments.

KTR accused the Congress government of hypocrisy for calling the Kaleshwaram project a scam while using its water for new schemes. He alleged inflated project costs, misuse of funds, and delays intended to harm Telangana’s interests, vowing to expose the corruption

Nayini Anurag Reddy has come out in strong defence of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, countering the Congress leadership's criticism by highlighting its contribution to Hyderabad’s water supply and the revival of the Musi River.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), often called an engineering marvel, remains central to Telangana’s long-term water strategy. Drawing from the 50 TMC Mallanna Sagar reservoir, the Rs. 7,360-crore project aims to supply drinking water to Hyderabad and rejuvenate the polluted Musi River.

Despite abundant water flows in the Godavari and Krishna rivers during the 2025–26 water year, Telangana has utilised only a fraction of its water entitlement. Over 2,350 TMC of Godavari and 726 TMC of Krishna water have been lost to the sea, exacerbated by the under-utilisation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

Irrigation expert V Prakash Rao said the Ghose Commission report on KLIS pointed to procedural and technical lapses but made no mention of corruption. He defended the project’s cost escalation as justified and asked Kavitha to prove her graft allegations

Telangana HC heard a plea by former Irrigation Secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi challenging the Ghose Commission’s report on Kaleshwaram project irregularities. The bench questioned how Joshi accessed the report and directed both sides to file affidavits

Former Minister S. Niranjan Reddy strongly defended senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao amid internal party friction, criticising MLC K. Kavitha's remarks as harmful to party unity. He accused the Congress government of negligence in irrigation and alleged a conspiracy involving Congress, BJP, and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to defame BRS and divert Telangana’s water resources.

BRS leader KT Rama Rao criticised the Congress government for ordering a CBI probe against former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao, accusing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of insulting Telangana and targeting a visionary who transformed the state through irrigation and welfare projects

Dubbak MLA Kotha Prabhakar Reddy has announced that the BRS will intensify its protest against the Congress government’s decision to order a CBI probe into the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. He accused the Congress of misinformation and defended the KLIP’s structural integrity, claiming that only two pillars of the Medigadda barrage were damaged.

BRS activists staged widespread protests across the erstwhile Karimnagar district opposing the State government’s decision to order a CBI inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project. Alleging political vendetta, the party accused the Congress of using the probe to malign BRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

For the second day, the BRS held statewide protests alleging a Congress-BJP conspiracy to malign K. Chandrashekhar Rao and the Kaleshwaram project. Effigies were burnt, roads blocked and rallies staged, as leaders slammed the CBI probe as politically motivated

Despite repeated recommendations from the NDSA, Vigilance Department, and Justice PC Ghose Commission, the Congress government has delayed Medigadda barrage repairs, affecting Kaleshwaram irrigation and leaving Telangana farmers vulnerable, while prioritising political rhetoric over practical action.