Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy announced, former CM KCR’s greed for commissions led to the collapse of Kaleshwaram Project. He came down heavily on past BRS Govt for not just constructing Kaleswaram Project with a faulty design, but laying burden of Rs 16,000 Cr per annum on the loans taken for the ambitious irrigation project.

Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy gave a PowerPoint Presentation to media at Telangana Secretariat in the wake of National Dam Safety Authority presenting its report after investigating the collapse of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, which are part of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).

“National Dam Safety Authority has clearly confirmed that the structural collapse of all three barrages—Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla of Kaleshwaram Project was due to the gross negligence, inefficieny and mismanagement. What’s shocking is, NDSA has clearly mentioned that Kaleshwaram was not built following scientific methods and engineering standards,” said Irrigation Min Uttam Kumar Reddy, revealing NDSA report findings.

“While earlier Congress Government has planned Pranahita-Chevella project to provide irrigation facilities to Telangana, KCR has intentionally obstructed it and came up with Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project by completely redesigning it. To pocket commissions, BRS Govt has escalated KLIP cost to Rs 1.81 Lakh Cr without any proper assessments and approvals. Kaleshwaram collapse is not an accident. It is the direct result of BRS government’s irresponsible decisions. KCR’s negligence and greed has dealt a serious blow to Telangana’s finances, as we are paying Rs 16,000 Cr per annum just towards loan repayments of this failed project,” explained Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also made shocking revelation on the occasion that, while KLIP barrages were originally designed to regulate just 2 TMC of water, over 10 TMC was stored in each leading to their collapse.