Kaleshwaram: KCR lied about water availability at Tummidihatti

HYDERABAD: The then BRS government sought to blame the Central Water Commission (CWC) by deliberately not interpreting its data correctly and thereby justified the ‘redesigned’ Kaleshwaram project at the current site, Sriram Vedire, adviser to the Union jal shakti ministry, informed the Justice PC Ghose commission of inquiry that is examining the various aspects of the Kaleshwaram project barrages.

Replying to a series of questions from Justice Ghose during cross-examination on Friday, Sriram said the then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and the BRS government had “lied” on the issue of water availability at Tummidihatti, where the original Pranahita Chevella project was to be located.

The then CM had claimed that 160 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water was not available as per the CWC at Timmidihatti, and hence the barrage location was changed to Medigadda. The fact was that the CWC had said that as per 75 per cent dependability, 165 tmc ft of water would be available at Tummidihatti, Vedire said.

He also said that Telangana’s claim that the project site was changed due to possible submergence of 4,200 acres in Maharashtra was also not valid as submergence issues were common in inter-state irrigation projects and the problem could have been sorted out through a good relief and rehabilitation package.

To another question, Vedire said not all required tests were conducted during the planning and construction stages of the Kaleshwaram barrages. “There were also repeated changes in designs during the construction and because there was no systematic process in place, a portion of the Medigadda barrage ended up sinking,” Vedire said.

The commission also briefly cross-examined Telangana Jana Samiti leader Prof M. Kodandaram, MLC, and pointed out that other than an affidavit, there were no supporting documents provided.