T''gana govt to follow NDSA advice for Kaleshwaram repairs; will not yield to BRS pressure: CM

Hyderabad, Jul 11 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the government will follow the suggestions of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) on repairing the barrages of the Kaleshwaram project, and it will not give in to the demands of opposition BRS. He took exception to criticism of BRS leaders against his government that it is not providing water to farmers, despite availability, from the Kannepalli pump house of the Kaleshwaram project during the current dry spell. Reddy said the NDSA's report on the damage to the Kaleshwaram project built during the BRS regime advised against storing water at the project's three barrages at Medigadda (where Kannepalli pump house is located), Annaram and Sundilla. The report also suggested rehabilitation of the three barrages, he said. The NDSA also recommended that design, works, and repairs to rehabilitate the barrages should be executed with the approval of the Central Water Commission (CWC) or NDSA. The state government is making efforts to revive the barrages as per the recommendations of NDSA, he said. He said water can be lifted from the Kannepalli pump house only if five TMC of water is stored (which is against NDSA suggestions). Further, Reddy said the Union Jal Shakti Ministry has recently formed a committee comprising experts and officials to supervise the rehabilitation measures of the Kaleshwaram project barrages. Taking a swipe at BRS, he asked whether the state government should follow the NDSA's recommendations or the demands of BRS. He asserted that the "state government would work as per the recommendations of NDSA" and not come under the pressure of BRS. Disputing BJP MP Eatala Rajender's demand that water should be lifted from Kannepalli pump house, he said the state government would have no objection if Rajender prevailed upon the NDSA and the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to lift water from the Kannepalli pump house. Reddy also said, in view of inadequate rainfall during the current monsoon season, the government is suggesting that farmers go for dry land crops. Kaleshwaram is a multi-purpose project on the Godavari River in the Bhupalpally district. Damage to the barrages of the project, built during the previous BRS regime, was a major issue during the 2023 Assembly election. PTI SJR SJR ADB