Hyderabad: Former minister T. Harish Rao has staunchly defended the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, calling it the “lifeline of Telangana’s future” and accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of spreading “blatant lies” for political gain. Speaking at a book launch in Hyderabad on Friday, Harish Rao said the Congress government is undermining a vital infrastructure project to further its political interests, sacrificing farmers’ welfare in the process.
The event, organised by the Telangana Vikas Samithi at Nampally’s Telugu University, marked the release of two books authored by irrigation expert Sridhar Rao Deshpande: Kaleshwaram Project: Questions, Criticisms, Distortions, Clarifications and Ten Years of Irrigation in Telangana. MLC Deshapati Srinivas presided over the function, which was attended by Harish Rao and former minister Niranjan Reddy as chief guests.
Harish Rao accused the Congress-led government of distorting facts about Kaleshwaram’s progress, claiming that in its 18 months in power, it has inflicted significant damage to the irrigation sector. He said that under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s decade-long leadership, Telangana had seen transformative success in water management, which the current administration is now attempting to discredit.
He criticised the government’s decision to form committees and commission inquiries, alleging they were thinly veiled attacks meant to stall and discredit the BRS-initiated project. Commending Deshpande for presenting factual clarity, Rao said the books reflect a deep commitment to Telangana’s irrigation needs and serve as a rebuttal to Congress’s misinformation campaign.
Harish Rao alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy harbours political vendetta against KCR, fearing that if Kaleshwaram succeeds, the former CM’s legacy will be permanently etched in Telangana’s history. He condemned the Congress for accusing KCR of corruption, stating that it is the same party that once siphoned off thousands of crores without lifting a spade of soil.
He recalled how KCR, even on his birthday, met Maharashtra officials to request support for Telangana’s irrigation needs and construction of the project. Rao said that decisions on modifying the project—such as shifting from Tummidihatti to Medigadda—were based on recommendations from the Central Water Commission and retired engineers, refuting claims that gravity-fed systems were possible from Tummidihatti.
He contrasted the limited scope of the earlier Pranahita–Chevella project, which was intended to irrigate just 16 lakh acres with 16 TMC storage, to Kaleshwaram’s far greater reach—targeting 37 lakh acres with 141 TMC storage capacity. He credited KCR for planning with future generations in mind and called Kaleshwaram the ultimate symbol of long-term water security.
Criticising the Congress for alleging structural collapse of Kaleshwaram while simultaneously issuing tenders to draw drinking water from the Mallannasagar reservoir—part of the same project—Rao called out the hypocrisy. He urged the government to abandon ignorance and treat the project with the seriousness it deserves.
Recalling KCR’s 2014 meetings with then Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Rao said it was KCR’s tireless efforts—including legal battles and lobbying—that secured Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act for Telangana, providing long-term safeguards for the state’s water needs.
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