CM Revanth Reddy Vows to Complete SLBC Tunnel, Slams KCR for Neglecting Project

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has launched a scathing attack on the previous K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) government, accusing it of deliberately sidelining the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project for political reasons. During a visit to the project site in Nagarkurnool district, the Chief Minister asserted that the Congress government is determined to complete the long-pending tunnel work that had been neglected for a decade.

Addressing the media after inspecting the geophysical survey of the SLBC tunnel area at Mannevaripalli, Revanth Reddy criticized the BRS leadership, stating that the people had rejected the party because of its corrupt governance. “KCR didn’t complete a single major project in ten years. The SLBC was abandoned despite its importance to Telangana’s irrigation. The people will never forgive the BRS for this betrayal,” he said.

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He also hit out at former Minister Harish Rao, urging him to stop making “petty political comments” about the Congress government’s efforts to revive the SLBC. Revanth emphasized that under his leadership, the tunnel work would finally reach completion.

Recalling the project’s history, he noted that the SLBC project was originally sanctioned in 1983 to divert 30 TMC of Krishna River water and irrigate around 3 lakh acres of farmland. Former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had inaugurated the construction of two tunnels in 2004, with tenders worth ₹1,968 crore. “It was the first project in India to use a tunnel boring machine,” Revanth said, adding that only one kilometer of work had been done by 2014, and less than ten kilometers during KCR’s entire decade-long rule.

“If KCR had been sincere, the tunnel would have been completed years ago,” he remarked, alleging that the BRS government had deliberately stalled projects on the Krishna River while spending ₹1.5 lakh crore on the Kaleshwaram project alone. “Of the ₹1.86 lakh crore spent on irrigation in ten years, most went to contractors, not the people,” he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that Andhra Pradesh is now benefiting from Telangana’s inaction, diverting Krishna waters while Telangana’s share remains untapped. He said Harish Rao had signed for 299 TMC of water, but little progress was made afterward. “We are now fighting in the tribunal to secure Telangana’s rightful share,” he affirmed.

Revanth Reddy highlighted that if completed, the 40-km SLBC tunnel would be one of the longest of its kind in the world. “It could have been finished for ₹2,000 crore, but due to delays, costs have now doubled to ₹4,600 crore,” he said. Despite setbacks, including the death of eight workers during construction, the government is committed to completing the project and compensating the affected families.

He added that Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy is coordinating with the Army to speed up the remaining work. The Chief Minister also promised to address flood-related issues in Marlapadu, Keshyathanda, and Nakkalagandi Thanda villages by December 31, ensuring that local communities benefit from the project.

Revanth concluded by declaring that the Congress government will not rest until the SLBC tunnel is completed, stressing that the people of Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar have already suffered enough due to years of neglect.