The BRS leader said the Kaleshwaram project not only had cabinet approval, contrary to the government's claim, but also all the clearances from the Centre.
Published Aug 05, 2025 | 5:16 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 05, 2025 | 5:16 PM
The Kaleshwaram irrigation project faced challenges, including structural issues with the Medigadda Barrage (pictured), after its piers sank in October 2023, disrupting water lifting operations.
Synopsis: T Harish Rao, who held the irrigation portfolio in the previous KCR cabinet, dared the Congress government to table the entire PC Ghosh Commission report on Kaleshwaram in the Assembly. The BRS leader, who at one stage was visibly emotional, said the government aims to persecute KCR.
Former minister for irrigation in Telangana, T Harish Rao, dismissed the findings of the PC Ghosh Commission on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) as ‘trash’ and dared the Congress government to table the entire 665-page report in the Assembly.
“Table the report in the Assembly. We will tear you apart. We will expose the inconsistencies and present the shimmering truth before the public,” he said on Tuesday, 5 August. He pointed out that the entire exercise appeared to be aimed at persecuting former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR.
The Siddipet MLA, in a presentation given to the media and BRS leaders at Telangana Bhavan, was at one stage overcome by emotion and equated KCR with Sir Arthur Cotton, who built the Dowlaiswaram Barrage and is still remembered by the people of the twin Godavari districts in Andhra Pradesh.
“Even the great British visionary had to face a commission of inquiry like KCR now. But posterity will remember KCR as one who gave life to the Telangana state,” Harish Rao said.
The BRS leader said the Kaleshwaram project not only had cabinet approval, contrary to the government’s claim, but also all the clearances from the Centre. The Congress government, which was in power before the formation of Telangana state, should be prosecuted for trying to build Pranahita-Chevella at Thummidi Hatti in Adilabad without any clearances,” he said.
“Now the question is: Against whom action should be taken?” he asked, pointing out that the Thummidi Hatti in the Adilabad district was not the right place for the construction of a project, as declared by the Central Water Commission, and yet the then government began construction there.
He dismissed the Ghosh Commission’s summary report, revealed by the state government, as “baseless” and accused the Congress of fabricating claims, such as inflated project costs. He refuted Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy’s assertion that ₹11,000 crore was spent on the Pranahita-Chevella project, clarifying that only ₹3,700 crore was spent on a project that had no clearances.
Harish Rao also alleged that the current government is steeped in corruption and ministers were demanding 10–12% commissions for approving Bills, a practice he claimed was absent under the BRS rule.
In his presentation, he accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of orchestrating a political conspiracy through the ongoing inquiry into the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
The BRS leader alleged that Revanth Reddy’s administration has descended to deplorable depths by pursuing a path of political vendetta over governance. He claimed that the Congress, in collusion with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is engaging in vindictive actions to discredit the BRS.
Harish Rao said that the BRS will come to power in the next elections and prove to the entire world that the Kaleshwaram Project was not a dud but one that can irrigate vast stretches of land in Telangana.
“We will repair the two piers of the Medigadda barrage, which is no difficult task, and provide water to Telangana farmers,” he said.
“Revanth Reddy is running a serial drama to harass KCR,” he said, and pointed out to what he described as the summary of the 665-page inquiry report as one that was manipulated—picking issues selectively to sully the previous BRS government. He argued that the report, prepared by the commission, lacks factual grounding and is a one-sided document designed to serve political motives.
He wondered why the Kaleshwaram project, a flagship irrigation initiative of the BRS government, has come under scrutiny following structural issues at the Medigadda barrage. He contrasted this with the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh, which he claimed collapsed three times without attracting similar scrutiny from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).
“As soon as the minor incident of the collapse of two piers occurred at Medigadda, the NDSA promptly dispatched a team. But why did it not do so when the Polavaram project was washed away thrice?” he questioned.
He further alleged that the media leaks about the inquiry were orchestrated even before official notices were issued for them to appear before the commission, suggesting a premeditated effort to defame the BRS.
The former minister defended the Kaleshwaram project’s design and execution, emphasising that it was built with the future of Telangana in mind. He focused on KCR’s historic agreements with Maharashtra, including three simultaneous accords to secure water rights, as a testament to the project’s strategic importance.
Harish Rao challenged Uttam Kumar Reddy’s claims that they had obtained the neighbouring state’s consent for building a 152-meter barrage at Thummidi Hatti when the Congress was in power before the state bifurcation in 2014. He recalled KCR daring Uttam Kumar Reddy and former minister K Jana Reddy to produce the agreement copy.
“If Uttam can show the document, I will go to Raj Bhavan and resign,” Rao declared, seeking to nail Uttam Kumar Reddy on his claim.
Harish Rao also addressed criticisms regarding the project’s site selection, particularly the decision to shift it from Thummidi Hatti in Adilabad to Medigadda in Bhupalpally district. He clarified that the Central Water Commission (CWC) had noted a lack of water availability at Thummidi Hatti, compounded by objections from Maharashtra and environmental concerns due to the presence of a wildlife sanctuary.
The BRS leader disputed the claim of the Congress government that the expert committee constituted by KCR had advised against the Kaleshwaram barrage’s location at Medigadda. He said that of the five experts, some had recommended Medigadda as a viable alternative—a decision Rao said was based on technical assessments, not political whims.
“All details are in the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Our goal was to provide water to farmers,” he asserted. What the committee had advised against was taking water from Medigadda to Mid Manair directly, as it was not feasible. It never said the location of the Medigadda barrage was not feasible, he said.
The BRS leader accused the Congress government of inaction over the past two years, claiming it failed to undertake even basic irrigation projects.
“You haven’t dug a single canal or provided water to a single acre,” Rao charged, alleging that the government was more focused on sending money earned through “commissions” to Delhi and appointing commissions to persecute the Opposition. He praised the BRS’s achievements, including providing 24-hour electricity within a year and restoring tanks through the Mission Kakatiya initiative.
Despite the structural issues at Medigadda, Harish Rao insisted that Kaleshwaram remains a “gift” for Telangana—a sentiment he claimed even Revanth Reddy acknowledges. He said the project had approvals from 11 central government agencies and was in tune with expert recommendations.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
