Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the government is ready to convene a special Assembly session to discuss the present condition of the Kaleshwaram project. He invited the Leader of the Opposition to participate in the debate. The government, he added, is also open to holding a joint sitting of the Assembly and Legislative Council if required.
The Chief Minister said the government will not begin restoration work until experts identify a technically sound solution. According to him, filling the barrages before resolving the structural issues could trigger a bigger disaster. He added that the government’s priority was to preserve the project, which he said had cost around ₹1 lakh crore.
Revanth Reddy made the remarks after an awareness programme at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Praja Bhavan. During the event, Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy delivered a presentation titled “Collapsed Kaleshwaram – From Failures to Reconstruction” for ministers, MPs, MLCs, MLAs and other public representatives.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said the Opposition leader could write to the Assembly Speaker to fix a date for the debate. He assured that the government would ensure the discussion proceeded smoothly. He also proposed inviting experts, intellectuals and the Advocate General to participate, subject to the Speaker’s approval.
Special Assembly session proposed on Kaleshwaram
Further, Revanth Reddy said the government had no objection to allowing the Opposition to oversee restoration work. However, it must first present a solution acceptable to experts and technical professionals. Such a proposal, he said, should inspire confidence among experts and the public.
Additionally, the Chief Minister reviewed the evolution of the Pranahita-Chevella project and its redesign as the Kaleshwaram project. He alleged that the redesign ignored the recommendations of an expert committee. It also significantly increased the project’s cost, he claimed.
Revanth Reddy referred to reports submitted by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and other state and central agencies. He said the reports attributed the damage to deficiencies in design, construction quality, operation and maintenance.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister alleged that an official had identified defects in the Medigadda Barrage in 2020. The official had also written to L&T warning about the risks, he said. However, those defects remained unaddressed until the structure suffered major damage in 2023, according to the Chief Minister.
He further alleged that the project lacked proper distributaries despite a sharp rise in expenditure. Referring to the CAG, he claimed the project cost had increased substantially without a corresponding increase in ayacut.
Finally, Revanth Reddy said the government is repaying loans raised for the project while continuing welfare and development programmes. He also announced that the state will provide life insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh to every family on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
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