Kaleshwaram project will bear fruits by June next year: CM

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said that the Kaleshwaram project would bear fruits by June next year.

The Chief Minister was replying to a discussion on the Budget in the Assembly on Sunday.

KCR said he wanted to make it clear the doubts on the Kaleshwaram project as leaders were talking without any awareness. "Even I had no information about Godavari River but I learnt about it talking to engineering experts. Let us not curse our own State for the sake of silly politics," said KCR.

The Chief Minister recalled that since there was no water availability of water at Tummidihatti, the government decided to have barrage at Medigadda and the water availability under the project would be 284 TMC.

The so called 'Pranahita Chevella' project was not given any permission. "I have not started Kaleshwaram as a hobby. I went to Maharashtra Chief Minister for five times.

First time in India at a time when there are water wars between States, three State chief ministers inaugurated project," said the Chief Minister. He appreciated the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister stating that he was young and honest. He said, soon a meeting would be held between two States.

The Chief Minister said that by June next year, 40 lakh acres of land can be irrigated by Kaleshwaram project. He said that the State government started spending money only after the Central Water Commission gave clearance to the project.

"We are taking up trial of the project and it takes some time for the water to reach all places. From Medigadda to Sri Ram Sagar for about 200 km there will be water and there will be no threat to SRSP ayacut. After October, there will be availability of water for 24 lakh acres," said Chandrashekar Rao.

The Chief Minister said that the government was going with a plan to link Godavari and Krishna rivers. He said that a meeting with the leaders of Khammam would be taken up to seek their opinion. He said that the CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers and other Khammam leaders can travel in a helicopter.

Regarding the linking of two rivers, the Chief Minister said that he would not take a decision without discussing with opposition parties. He also assured Bhatti Vikramarka of providing full DPR of Kaleshwaram project.

He said that for constituencies of Asifabad, Chennur and others, government proposes to have another project with 20 TMC which could irrigate 2 lakh acres.

The Chief Minister said that he had talked to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on decreasing the height of Polavaram as it was going to affect Bhadrachalam Sri Ram temple and it would benefit three states of AP, TS and Odisha.

The Chief Minister also assured to solve the problems of 'Podu lands' of tribals by visiting districts after Assembly sessions.