KCR trashes Kaleshwaram power bill critics
Dharmapuri: Stating that river Godavari is the only lifeline for Telangana to meet the growing water needs of the state, Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said his government will spend Rs 15,000 crore per annum on power bills to lift water from Kaleshwaram and supply it across the state for irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes.
KCR said in view of depleting water resources in Krishna, the government has constructed the Kaleshwaram project for the optimum utilisation of Godavari waters. The project will help in utilising 400 TMC of water from Kaleshwaram, 100 TMC from Sitarama Lift Irrigation
Project in Khammam and 75 TMC from Devadula and Tupakulagudem Reservoirs in addition to the allocation.
In all, Telangana will use 575 TMC of water after the completion of the above mentioned projects, he said. Rubbishing the Opposition criticism on the burden of mounting power bills in lifting water from projects, the CM said it is estimated that the government would have to spend Rs 4,992 crore per year to lift the water.
Even if it crossed Rs 15,000 crore, the government is ready for it as the project benefits various sections of the people, he said.
It will benefit the common man as it would provide drinking water; it will benefit farmers as they would get water for irrigation and the project will also benefit industries since they will get water for industrial needs, explains KCR.
The Chief Minister said if Godavari receives excess water, there is no need of lifting water from Medigadda. "We can draw the flood waters from Mid Manair dam (MMD) directly which will help reduce the burden of power bills ," he added.
He clarified that there is no reverse pumping of water in Kaleshwaram as reported by a section of the media. The objective of the project is to lift water and fill the reservoirs and use the resources for irrigation mainly.
He further said all lift schemes were designed only after conducting a scientific study by the experts. This project, he said, will provide irrigation facility for 45 lakh acres. Apart from providing drinking water to Hyderabad, it will also address the water problems of Mahbubnagar and Rangareddy.
KCR said Mission Bhagiratha works will be completed in a month and once that was done every household will get potable drinking water on par with what the people of Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad consume.
Earlier, KCR offered prayers at the Dharmapuri temple.