Hyderabad: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday accused the BRS leadership of deliberately spreading misinformation. He said the party was falsely claiming that the Kannepalli pump house at Medigadda (Lakshmi Barrage) could simply be switched on to lift water through the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.Rejecting those claims outright, the minister repeatedly declared: “The pumps cannot be operated.”“The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has categorically prohibited the operation of the three barrages until scientific rehabilitation is completed and safety is certified. The previous BRS govt compromised core engineering principles for political gain and left the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project and its barrages in a dangerously unstable condition that requires comprehensive rehabilitation before they can be safely operated,” Uttam told reporters at the secretariat.He said North Telangana would not have been facing any irrigation uncertainty today had the previous govt executed the project according to sound engineering principles.“If the Pranahita-Chevella project had been implemented in its original form, as conceived by the Congress govt, North Telangana would have been assured of nearly 80 TMC of dependable water. It would have substantially cushioned the region even during weak monsoon years and possible El Niño conditions,” Uttam claimed.He also alleged that the previous BRS govt had altered the project for political and commercial considerations, resulting in technical compromises that have now come to light. “This is the result of greed, short-sightedness and ill-conceived decisions,” Uttam said.Citing the final NDSA report, Uttam said the foundations of all three barrages—Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla—remain under serious technical scrutiny. If water is impounded without rectification, the consequences could be catastrophic, with downstream habitations, including Bhadrachalam, potentially facing serious risk.“Investigations include ground-penetrating radar surveys across all three barrages, laboratory testing, permeability studies, hydraulic modelling, computational fluid dynamics analysis and digital twin simulations. The work is being undertaken by CWPRS Pune and global consultant MS Afry, in association with IIT Bombay, under the supervision of the NDSA and the Central Water Commission,” he said.Uttam said testing is nearing completion and design finalisation will continue during the current monsoon. Construction will commence immediately after floodwaters recede, with the govt targeting completion of the rehabilitation works by July–Aug 2027. Until then, he said, the barrages will remain in a free-flow condition. “There will be absolutely no compromise on public safety,” he added.Stating that the state govt has already sought a CBI probe into the Kaleswaram project irregularities, he said Telangana is pursuing an alternative long-term solution by bringing nearly 80 TMC of water from Tummidihatti. A detailed project report has already been entrusted to RV Associates, while moves are afoot to initiate dialogue with Maharashtra for the construction of a barrage at Tummidihatti.Warning that El Niño could weaken the south-west monsoon by 35%, Uttam said the Agriculture department and the govt have initiated contingency plans for irrigation, drinking water and disaster management.He reiterated that the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages would be operated only after comprehensive testing, scientific rehabilitation and mandatory clearances from the National Dam Safety Authority and the Central Water Commission. “Our responsibility is to protect lives, safeguard public investment and restore the project scientifically. Safety is non-negotiable,” he said.
