Kaleshwaram Trial run successful

Hyderabad: The first-ever trial run with water load has been successfully conducted in Kaleshwaram project on Wednesday at Vemsoor village of Palakurthi mandal in Peddapalli district in Telangana. As part of the trial run, 0.2 tmc feet of water was released from the Yellampally project that reached through approach channel to the twin tunnels, constructed on a 9.3 km stretch under the Package 6 of the Kaleshwaram project, which is considered as one of the biggest lift irrigation projects in the world. Currently, the water levels in Yelampalli is 5.5 tmc feet.

Aiming to create new irrigation facility for 20 lakh acres and stablise the ayacut in another 20 lakh acres and also cater to the drinking needs in Hyderabad and urban areas in the north Telangana districts, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's government had taken up the Kaleshwaram project by redesigning the Chevella – Pranahita and other projects on Godavari at the cost of more than Rs 50,000 crore.

Although the Centre did not consider the state demand to accord the project national status and earmark Rs 20,000 crore, the government has taken up the project on a war-footing by mobilising funds from external sources mainly the financial institutions. KCR has targeted to complete the project by 2020.

The flows reached the tunnels through gravity and water will go into the surge pool gradually. Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister (Irrigation) Sridhar Rao Deshpande said that after attaining required depth in the surge pool, the pumps will be tested one after other with water load. Currently, four pumps are ready to conduct the trail run. The remaining three pumps will be ready by June for the tests.

The irrigation officials have made all arrangements to test leakages, if any, in the surge pool after it gets filled up to 10 per cent of its storage capacity. If everything is normal, the pool will be filled to its capacity. The whole process will take 3 to 4 days. The trail run of pumps will begin on April 23 or 24, according to officials. Each pump will run for 20 to 30 minutes and stopped. The whole process will consume 0.20 tmc feet of water.

Each pump installed with 126 MW capacity is having the discharge capacity of 3,200 cusecs. The pumped water will reach Nandi- Medaram reservoir which has been constructed with 0.75 tmc feet capacity and the water will be used for local needs without any wastage, said Deshpande.