Panel rejects redesigning of Kaleswaram project

HYDERABAD: The union environment ministry’s expert appraisal committee ( EAC) has withheld approval of the Kaleswaram irrigation project that was to be redesigned at the cost of Rs 80,000 crore by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government.

Opposition parties including Congress, Telugu Desam Party and BJP and civil society bodies have saying that these redesigned lift irrigation projects were technically and economically unviable and could turn a major burden on the state exchequer. The EAC at its recent meeting advised Telangana government to submit technoeconomic feasibility report of the Kaleswaram project and obtain Central Water Commission’s (CWC) clearances before seeking approval.

Confirming the apprehensions of cost escalation from Rs 38,500 crore envisaged earlier, the Telangana government in its presentation before EAC pegged the revised project cost of Kaleswaram irrigation project at Rs 80,499 crore. The state’s detailed presentation before the EAC said the Kaleswaram multistage lift irrigation would entail construction of barrages across river Godavari at Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla to be completed over three years.

Apart from diverting 180 tmc of water to irrigate 7.38 lakh hectares covering seven erstwhile districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Rangareddy, the Telangana government also proposes to provide drinking water to Hyderabad and Secunderabad. “The EAC, after detailed discussions, felt the observations of CWC and techno-economic feasibility of the project are to be obtained and produced by the PP (project proponent),” the minutes of the meeting of the EAC said. “Hence, the EAC does not recommend the project for scoping clearance and suggests that in-principle clearance of CWC be submitted before the project is considered for scoping/ToR clearance.”

Responding to concerns raised by Andhra over new irrigation projects by Telangana that could affect its interests as a lower riparian state, EAC had in August advised Telangana to obtain no objection from AP and also of Godavari River Management Board as per the provisions of State Reorganisation Act, 2014.

“We have been airing our concerns over TRS government not making public the detailed project reports of redesigned irrigation projects and their techno-economic viability. We have been arguing that Telangana should reap the benefits of gravity-based irrigation projects on river Godavari instead of heavily burdening the exchequer with large scale and unviable lift irrigation projects,” said Nainala Govardhan, founder of Godavari Jala Saadhana Samithi, hailing the EAC’s rejection of the state’s plans.