Telangana to Restart Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation to Safeguard Rabi Ayacut

Telangana is moving forward with plans to resume operations at key barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) in a bid to save the Rabi ayacut.

These crucial barrages—Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla—have been inactive since undergoing inspection and rehabilitation earlier this year, leaving vast areas of Rabi crops without irrigation.

The state government aims to restart at least two of these barrages to allow farmers, who have been without Godavari water for two seasons, access to much-needed irrigation. Water from the Pranahita River, a tributary of the Godavari, is expected to flow to the Kannepalli pump house at Medigadda, a critical juncture in the project. State officials are set to meet with the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) on October 11 to discuss the resumption of operations.

State Irrigation officials had earlier prepared the pumping units for operation but were delayed by ongoing assessments from the NDSA. The State government had hoped to complete interim repairs during a 40-day window in June, but the barrages remained idle as the NDSA continued its evaluations.

Amid concerns about the safety of the coffer dam, authorities had explored constructing a low-cost gabion water barrier to maintain water levels at the pump house, but the NDSA did not approve the plan. Despite these setbacks, the State is pushing for a resolution, with a deadline set for the NDSA’s final report by December.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy chaired a recent review meeting, emphasizing the need to maximize the use of Godavari water for the Rabi season. Officials have written to the NDSA chairman, urging the acceleration of the decision-making process to ensure water supply for the Rabi crops.