Putting an end to the water woes of Telangana region, the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) comprising three barrages and five pump houses is dedicated to the nation at Medigadda in Jayashankar-Bhupalapally district on Friday. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and YS Jaganmohan Reddy and Governor of AP and Telangana E.S.L. Narasimhan were also present during the dedication ceremony. Jagan formally unveiled the plaque marking the inauguration of the barrage.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the main architect of the project who arrived at Medigadda in a chopper along with his wife Shobha took part in rituals in a specially erected Yaga Shala to appease River Goddess Godavari through “Jala Sankalpa Homam” by Sringeri Peetha before he embarked on a series of launches of different components of the project including the pump house at Kannepalli.
“The Kaleshwaram Project is a gift from the people of Maharashtra to the people of Telangana who have suffered a lot. Even Maharashtra will benefit from the backwater from the project,” Fadnavis who also participated in the rituals said. The massive project taken up at a cost of Rs 80,500 crore is aimed at lifting the Godavari in six stages to supply it to Kondapochamma Sagar, which is at 618 meters height. The Pump Houses are being constructed to lift 2 TMC of water every day this year. Preparations are going on to lift 3 TMC of water from the next year. To lift such a huge quantum of water, the Biggest and largest pumps are being used for the first time in the country.
On 2 May 2016, KCR laid a foundation stone at Kannepally for the Kaleshwaram project. Within three years major components such as barrages, pump houses have been completed and construction of the reservoirs is going ahead on a fast track. Barrages are constructed at Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla. Water from these Barrages will be utilized to fill Yellampally and Sriram Sagar Projects. With this, the Godavari River flow alive in 199 Kms stretch in the Telangana state.
Through the Kaleswaram projects, additionally, 20 lakh acres will be provided with water in Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Siddipet, Medak, Yadadri, Nalgonda, Sangareddy, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Kamareddy, Nirmal, Medchel, and Peddapally Constituencies.
It is estimated that for the lifting of 2 TMC water from Kaleshwaram, 4992.47 MW power is required. For lifting of the 3 TMC water, 7, 152 MW of power is required and arrangements are being made for the supply of the adequate power.
Salient Features of the Kaleshwaram Project
Length of water supply route-------1, 832 Kms
Gravity Canal--------------------------1531Kms
Tunnel routes--------------------------203 Kms
Pressure Mains/Delivery Mains--- 98 Kms
Lifts--------------------------------------20
Pump Houses--------------------------19
Electricity required--------------------4992.47 MWs
Reservoirs-------------------------------19
Storing capacity of the reservoirs----141 TMCs