Telangana Government and Opposition Engage in Heated Debate Over Kaleshwaram Project

In Hyderabad, the war of words between Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and BRS leaders has intensified over the Kaleshwaram project. When asked why the government is shying away from releasing flood water to the Godavari, the Congress government cited the NDSA report and the safety of the barrage as the basis, while BRS leader Harish Rao rubbished the government's claim citing old letters and engineering decisions on the availability of water in Tummidihetti and Medigadda. In his PowerPoint presentation at Praja Bhavan, Revanth Reddy strongly criticized the shortcomings in the construction, redesign and cost escalation of the Kaleshwaram project. According to him, the then government ignored the recommendations of the committee of retired engineers and the cost of the project rose from Rs 38 thousand crore to Rs 1 lakh crore. In response, BRS leaders, especially Harish Rao, say that the Congress government is misleading the farmers in the name of water availability.