Telangana’s two prominent lift irrigation projects, undertaken by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi-BRS Government with a combined cost exceeding ₹1.25 lakh crore over the past decade, are struggling to demonstrate their promised benefits, according to recent reports presented by the current Congress administration.
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project or KLIP, a major initiative on the Godavari River costing ₹93,872 crore, has so far irrigated only 98,590 acres. Meanwhile, the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme or PRLIS, designed to draw water from the Krishna River with an estimated cost of ₹35,200 crore, remains inactive even after nine years, with ₹31,423 crore already spent.
State Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy reported on July 30 that the previous administration’s substantial investments in irrigation infrastructure, including reservoirs, barrages, and pump houses, fell short due to inadequate focus on completing essential canals and distributaries.
The Kaleshwaram project’s Medigadda barrage, among others, suffered severe damage during the October 2023 floods, rendering the project non-operational for the past two seasons. The National Dam Safety Authority or NDSA has advised against storing water in the damaged reservoirs, prompting the government to open all barrage gates to alleviate pressure.
The report highlighted that the State is burdened with repaying ₹16,000 crore annually in interest and principal over the next five years, as part of the loans secured by the BRS Government for the Kaleshwaram project. A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report from February revealed a total loan of ₹87,449.15 crore, including ₹11,220.22 crore in interest, with an estimated operational cost of ₹25,109.41 crore once the project is fully functional.
The Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), initiated by former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in June 2015, also remains incomplete. Despite a symbolic inauguration on September 16, 2023, the project’s progress has stalled. PRLIS is designed to lift water from the Srisailam reservoir and is expected to irrigate around 12 lakh acres across several districts, in addition to providing drinking water and industrial use.
The irrigation minister stated that completing PRLIS could take an additional five years, requiring an estimated ₹6,000 crore per year, bringing the total projected cost to over ₹58,000 crore. Thus far, ₹31,423 crore has been spent, with another ₹27,000 crore needed to finish the project.
