Telangana CM inaugurates Kaleshwaram irrigation project

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday inaugurated Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project, touted to be world's largest multi-stage, multi-purpose lift irrigation scheme, at Kannepalli village. Rao switched on the motor in the Medigadda Pump House in the presence of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

The Rs 80,000 crore project was built on Godavari river, which originates in Maharashtra and flows through Telangana before merging with the sea in Andhra Pradesh.

The project came to a reality after the Telangana government entered into an agreement with the Maharashtra government on March 8, 2016, putting an end to differences that existed for decades over the issue.

The project is expected to supply water to 70 per cent of districts in Telangana to meet agriculture, drinking water and the industrial needs.

According to the state government, water from the Godavari at Medigadda, which is about 100 metres above sea-level, is lifted at six stages and supplied to Kondapochamma Sagar, which is at 618 metres height.

It is estimated that for the lifting two TMC water from Kaleswaram, 4,992.47 MW power is required and arrangements are being made for the supply of adequate power.

"For the first time in the annals of country's history, the Telangana State Electricity organisations are using 139 MW pumps in the Kaleswaram project at package-8 Ramadugu. Nobody ever used such a capacity pumps in the country," an official release said last week.

Medigadda is the first pumping station in a chain of 20 pumping stations of the mega project. 

Rao laid foundation stone at Kannepally for the Kaleswaram project on May 2, 2016.