Hyderabad: Former irrigation minister T Harish Rao has said the govt was operating irrigation projects such as Kaleshwaram (package 6,8, 10,11 and 12), Devadula (phase III) and other projects across the state on frequent start-stop cycles. He said such a mode of operation of lifts are fundamentally against the engineering design principles and is likely to cause progressive damage to pumps, impellers, shear pins, shafts and associated electro-mechanical systems. In a letter to irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday, Harish Rao said at the time of installation and commissioning of the pumps, technical experts had informed the then BRS govt that such systems were designed for continuous operation and not for frequent start-stop cycles. Repeated start-stop operations would finally lead to mechanical failure and long-term deterioration of critical infrastructure, Harish Rao said. “The lift irrigation projects were involved in massive public investments and are designed as continuous flow systems, not intermittent ones. Any deviation compromises system integrity, increases maintenance burden and threatens long-term sustainability,” he added. He urged Uttam Kumar Reddy to ensure scientifically managed operation of motors and pumping systems, strictly adhering to design parameters and engineering best practices.
