KTR accuses govt. of unveiling major scam with plan to get water to twin reservoirs, Musi

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accused the Congress government in the State of unveiling a major scam by changing the source and method of drawing water from the Kaleshwaram Project (Godavari) to fill the twin reservoirs of the city and Musi river.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was going to town day-in and day-out stating that the Kaleshwaram Project had collapsed, but was now drawing plans to get water to the city reservoirs and Musi by using the same project or its components — Mallannasagar and Kondapochammasagar, working president of BRS K.T. Rama Rao said addressing a press conference here on Monday.

He reminded the Chief Minister that the Kaleshwaram Project meant not just one barrage, and Mallanasagar was also part of it. The previous K. Chandrasekhar Rao government had decided at the Cabinet meeting held on May 17, 2023 to fill the twin reservoirs and Musi with Kaleshwaram water as part of providing 24x7 water supply in the city and Musi river beautification with an estimated cost of ₹1,100 crore.

The plan was to draw water from the 27th km of the Sangareddy Canal, taking off from Kondapochammasagar, using gravity, as water would be available at an elevation of 618 meters in the reservoir and would be transported to Gandipet at an elevation of 548 meters. The present government, however, was planning to get the water with an estimated cost of ₹7,390 crore — a cost escalation by nearly 11 times in a matter of just two years, Mr. Rama Rao explained.

Further, Mr. Revanth Reddy had ordered a CBI inquiry into the Kaleshwaram Project as his probes by Vigilance and One-Man Commission had failed to find anything substantial, Mr. Rama Rao claimed. Recently, AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had questioned the government in the Assembly that the Medigadda Barrage was standing intact when 12 lakh cusecs of floodwater had also passed it this season and why repairing the damaged block was being delayed. Mr. Rama Rao pointed out that the Congress leaders were alleging ₹1 lakh crore crore in Kaleshwaram project when ₹93,769 crore was spent on it.