KTR Warns Kaleshwaram Pumps Will Be Opened With 50,000 Farmers

Asking the State government why water was not being pumped from the Lakshmi (Kannepally) pumphouse of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project despite sufficient water availability, BRS working president K T Rama Rao today said that if the government did not respond before August 2, the BRS would reach the pumphouse with 50,000 farmers and start operating the pumps.

BRS leaders, including MLAs and MLCs, led by Rao visited the Lakshmi pumphouse on Friday and and enquired from the officials the possibility of pumping water.

Speaking on the occasion, Rao said that the Kaleshwaram project was Telangana's lifeline, and that KCR had built Kaleshwaram at a faster pace than any other government had a project of similar scale in the history of the country. The project was constructed so that the word drought would not be heard in Telangana, and there was never a water problem in the BRS regime, he claimed.

"However, after the Congress took over, just for political vendetta, the water pumps are not being turned on - only to defame our leader and former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao," Rao said.

"The Kaleshwaram project will provide sufficient irrigation water to the drought-hit areas. Drinking water can also be supplied to Hyderabad. Konda Pochamma Sagar was constructed with 15 TMC of water. Mallanna Sagar was constructed with 50 TMC. Water can be lifted from the Lakshmi pumphouse. Due to the negligence of the Congress government, drinking water is being provided once in three days now. Ten lakh cusecs of water is going waste in vain. The Godavari is flowing vigorously near Kaleshwaram. Despite that, the reservoirs have become like deserts now," Rao said.

He said that if the government wanted it could provide water to 18 lakh acres, but was preferring to just let the water go waste into the sea and hurt the people just for political points.

"The government should immediately take a decision on the pumphouses. We will demand a discussion in the Assembly on behalf of the farmers. We are giving time till August 2 to the government to fill up the reservoirs within the limits of Kaleshwaram. If the government does not respond, we will turn on the pumps ourselves with 50,000 farmers accompanying us. We will provide water to the fallow lands of Telangana ourselves if the government doesn't," the BRS leader said.