BJP Telangana President and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy on April 29 released a scathing statement citing the findings of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), calling the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project “one of India’s biggest scam projects”. The report, according to Kishan Reddy, exposes gross mismanagement and deep-rooted corruption involving both the BRS and Congress governments.
“The corrupt Congress and BRS have bled Telangana dry. What should have been public funds for welfare and development have instead been looted through a crony partnership that continues to exploit state resources and cripple the economy,” Reddy stated.
The NDSA expert committee has raised serious concerns over the planning, construction, and maintenance of the Kaleshwaram project. Among the findings:
- Construction of three barrages began even before the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was approved by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
- The Irrigation Department made unauthorised and significant deviations from approved plans during execution.
- Annaram and Sundilla barrages were relocated without any geotechnical studies by a so-called High-Powered Committee.
- The flood design parameters for Sundilla were not in compliance with CWC standards.
- Poor operation and maintenance practices have further deteriorated the project’s safety and structural integrity.
The report highlights systemic failures that led to the submergence and collapse of major parts of the infrastructure. The BRS is blamed for the foundational flaws, while the Congress is accused of performing only superficial repairs without initiating any serious investigation.
Kishan Reddy also referred to earlier findings by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which had flagged that tenders were issued even when the project had a poor cost-benefit ratio of just 1:0.75. With project costs now revised upward, the ratio has worsened to 1:0.52, implying that the state gets back only 52 paise for every rupee spent.
“These revelations confirm that the BRS government misappropriated over Rs1.5 lakh crore of public funds. And instead of seeking justice, the Congress party has conveniently shielded BRS from any investigation,” Reddy added.
In response to a request from the Government of Telangana in February 2024, the NDSA, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, constituted an expert committee on March 2, 2024 to conduct a detailed inspection and study of the design and construction of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Project.
The committee was chaired by J Chandrashekhar Iyer, former Chairman of the Central Water Commission, and comprised experts from the CWC, NDSA, CSMRS, CWPRS, and IIT Delhi. The committee conducted site visits in March 2024, engaged with officials from the I&CAD Department, construction agencies, TSERL, and other stakeholders, and held 36 internal meetings to review designs, records, and drawings before finalising its report.
The Kaleshwaram Project, once showcased as the flagship achievement of the BRS government, has now emerged as one of its biggest scams. Despite the grand claims and hype created by the KCR-led administration, the findings of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) paint a starkly different picture—exposing serious flaws, negligence, and possible corruption in the execution of the project.
