Call DSA to evaluate KLIP dam safety: Kishan tells CM

Hyderabad: State BJP chief G Kishan Reddy here on Sunday demanded immediate calling of the Dam Safety Authority (DSA) meeting to carry out a comprehensive inspection of safety of the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).

Addressing the media, Reddy questioned the government’s silence over sinking of pillars of the KLIP Lakshmi barrage. He recalled the government had gone to town with high-voltage propaganda about the project, but it remained silent when the Rs 1.5 lakh crore project is in doldrums. Also, it obstructed when engineers and politicians went to the site to see the issue first-hand.

Reddy said MLA Eatala Rajender will inspect the pillars. Several engineers expressed their reservations about the project constructed by spending thousands of crores. “Given the development their doubts are turning credible,” he added.

He lashed out at the Chief Minister saying K Chandrashekar Rao had patted himself, claiming the project was an engineering marvel, by donning himself a super engineer who read 80,000 books. ‘The CM had gone ahead with the project brushing aside strong reservations expressed by experts.

Reddy said the project estimates had been increased manifold; the exchequer was emptied, but part of the project has sunk within three years of inauguration. He pointed out that earlier the KLIP pump house was submerged in Godavari floods, resulting in a loss of thousands of crore. Now the project is facing problem of sinking, exposing shortcomings in construction. He demanded to know how many tmcft the government provided to farmers under the project against his promised lifting of 400 tmcft annually. Reddy said about 150 tmcft has been lifted in the last five years, but the same was released to go downstream.