Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation project is a “Big White Elephant” to Government exchequer in terms of cost and recurring expenses throughout the life and to counter this hydropower is produced illegally from Krishna River, said irrigation expert Dr. S. Jeevananda Reddy, Fellow, Telangana Academy of Sciences [Founder Member] and Convenor, Forum for a Sustainable Environment.
In a letter to Telangana minister KT Rama Rao, he asserted that in his view Nagarjunasagar Dam and Pranahita-Chevella are far superior projects to Kaleswaram. He recalled that on the other day TS government informed to Committee on Krishna River that dead storage level is not 854 ft but it is 830 ft.
In the last season, he said that TS refused to adhere even to 830 ft and went ahead producing power below 800 ft. 830 ft is standard but to provide drinking water to Chennai this was raised to 834 ft, though by that time TDP government laid foundation stones for surplus water use projects but made no provisions for drawing water from Srisailam to those projects] and to allow dry areas use surplus water as per Bachawat Tribunal this was lifted to 854 ft..
He asked minister KTR that did he have the basic knowledge on water flows in Godavari during below the average 60-year cycle? In those years what will be the fate of Kaleswaram lift irrigation?
Referring to Telangana government’s claims that Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project on the Godavari River is the World’s largest irrigation and drinking water system, he said to understand the veracity of the claim we must go in to accounts pertaining to Kaleswaram lift irrigation project.
Reddy explained that Kaleswaram project was built at huge cost of 1.20 lakh crores – started in 2016 and opened on 21st June 2019 – it is a big question: when was the full capacity water released for irrigation and drinking and and how much area submerged in this process & how many times the pumps break down? And how much power was consumed?
He said that it consumes huge quantity of power and large acreage of fertile agriculture land and thus displaced population. In Kaleswaram the major problem is maintenance of lifts and pumps and underground 21 km tunnel and tanks, he added.
In TS in addition to this power, he said that power needs to be supplied to 23 lakh pump sets to get groundwater for 24 hours – around 11,000 MW – nobody knows how much is going as pilferage or loses? We know in Hyderabad water supply losses as high as more than 50% — 75% of drinking water supplies have been used for irrigation, that is more the water you bring, more goes to irrigation;
As Kaleswaram itself has no major storage facility and thus water is stored in 20 reservoirs. It was estimated that about Rs. 50,000 will be the recurring expenditure per acre and per year [may go up with the time], he added.
Reddy recalled that Cevella-Pranahita was nearly completed more than 70% was planned to utilize the Godavari share of water at for cheaper than that of Kaleswaram, but with the Kaleswaram project water was surrendered to Maharashtra.
When we take all these in to account Nagarjunasagar dam is far superior to Kaleswaram in all aspects, he added.
With regard to drinking water supply, Reddy said that one-third of states population is living in and around Hyderabad. Krishna water is serving the major part of drinking water needs – nothing to do with those that were initiated with beautiful names like Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha, a wasteful expenditure.
“Why I said wasteful because without those names Congress government served better way. Now nearly 50% of water brought in to Hyderabad for drinking is going as waste – no control. Also 75% of the total drinking water is used for irrigation [filthy water and produced filthy food]. Even the water supplied from Mission Bhagiratha people complaining that the water is of poor quality. Are they fully completed is big question”, he added.
Reddy posed simple questions to KDR: (i) How much area was under well/bore-wells irrigation/drinking water supply; (ii) How much area is under wells/bore-wells; & (iii) How much area is under irrigation/drinking water supply under Kaleswaram; and (iv) How much is total area under irrigation?
