BRS goes for expert advice on Kaleshwaram barrages, KTR demands lifting of water by March

HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has invited individual experts in the field of dam safety for a visit to the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP). They will be submitting a comprehensive report on the sagging of the piers of Medigadda and all related issues to the BRS.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Thursday said that more than 200 BRS leaders and people’s representatives including former Ministers T Harish Rao, Kadiam Srihari, and Ponnala Lakshmaiah would be visiting Medigadda and Annaram barrages on Friday.

“Medigadda mishap was not the first in the history of irrigation. Earlier, there were troubles in the Kaddem, Musi, and Nagarjuna Sagar projects. The Congress Government should have taken remedial action. The sagging occurred in October and the Government came into being on December 7. In those 83 days, the Congress government was witch hunting and releasing white papers,” he pointed out.

Also Read: BRS to organise ‘Chalo Medigadda’ on March 1 to counter propaganda of Congress on Kaleshwaram

Questioning the veracity of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)’s first report frequently quoted by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, KTR called the report a politically motivated report.

“Several Central institutions like ED and CBI said a lot of things about the Congress. They never believed those reports. But Congress selectively recognises NDSA which is an institution governed by the BJP Government at the Centre.

Criticising the Congress Government for planning yet another project visit, this time to the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), KTR said that the Government was trying to divert people's attention from real issues.

“If the Government won’t take action immediately and start lifting water by 31 March, the crops will dry. This is a classic example of cruel politics. Ensure that the water is lifted or you leave. We will show you how to lift water from Medigadda, Annaram, Sundilla, and Midmanair,” KTR said.

KTR said that K Chandrashekar Rao completed most of the reservoir and pump house work on Palamuru Ranga Reddy and the Congress Government just had to complete the canal network.

Responding to the allegations made by Uttam Kumar Reddy on the BRS Government on the execution of irrigation projects, KTR said that the Government could go ahead and punish anyone responsible for the alleged lapses in KLIP and the BRS was ready to take legal recourse to prove its point of view.

“For decades Telangana was parched, so BRS speeded up the construction work by asking the irrigation experts to complete the projects at the earliest. We know we are not irrigation experts, and we let the engineers execute the projects,” he observed.

Meanwhile, former Minister Kadiam Srihari speaking to the media, called upon the BRS cadre to make ‘Chalo Medigadda’ a huge success. He said that the BRS leaders met the police commissioner to arrange for security from Jangaon, Bhupalapally via Ghanpur, Warangal bypass, Gudeppadu, and Parakal.