Kaleshwaram Lift irrigation project (KLIP) envisages diversion of 180 TMC of water at the rate of 2 TMC per day from Medigadda and 20 TMC from Yellampally by constructing three barrages across River Godavari. The Central Water Commission (CWC) designated KLIP as a new project. The Telangana government has countered the argument.
The KLIP is a re-engineered version of Dr. B.R Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi project especially, after the Maharashtra government raised concerns about construction of barrage at Tummidihetti. Accordingly, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi has been split into two projects namely Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Pranahita project and Kaleshwaram Project. The project which is divided into seven links has three barrages at Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla with the Water conveyance system consisting of gravity canals and tunnels.
The re-designed version of the previous project has three significant changes
The state government did not submit a detailed project report (DPR) regarding KLIP to Godavari River Management Board (GRMB). The government argued that CWC had already approved Pranahita- Chevella project, so there was no need for submitting a new DPR. As prescribed under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, GRMB insisted the DPR the state government to submit for review and approval.
CWC held that this a new project as the scope of project and parameters were not yet finalised. Furthermore, consent from water resources ministry and environment ministry were not in place. However, union environment ministry’s expert appraisal committee (EAC) granted conditional clearances to the project.
The apex river board questioned many claims of the TRS government on quantum of farmlands to be irrigated, amount of waters to be diverted and area of submergence. It also expressed qualms over availability of power in Telangana to provide electricity for the massive lift irrigation project.
The TRS government which considers the redesigning as a prestige issueneeds to overcome this setback from CWC and GRMB. The Telangana government planned to complete the project by 2018 whose actual cost of the project worked out to Rs.81000 Crores. Since its inception in 2008 until June 2016 Rs 12,697.31 Crores have been spent on the project.
On one hand, the central government appreciated Telangana and Maharashtra governments for amicably solving the issue, on the other hand the project has been facing impediments ever since. The TRS government has to take the of political routes to overcome the challenges, as the Pranahita project was already approved. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is very keen about the irrigation projects specifically his pet project KLIP is likely to take up the issue with the Centre and might meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fast track the project.
