The TRS has stuck to its stand that Medigadda was the best option for construction of source for Kaleswaram lift irrigation project as suggested by Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS), an arm of Ministry of Water Resources, and the Central Water Commission.
In fact, WAPCOS also did a survey by LIDAR technology and established that Medigadda was best suited, Government whip in Legislative Council Palla Rajeswara Reddy told a news conference here. The CWC had asked the government to reconsider the site when the latter wanted to construct the project at Tummidi-Hatti. The commission had warned that only 165 tmc ft water was available at Tummidi-Hatti, of which only 75% could be utilised. On the other hand, 500 tmc ft water flowed at Medigadda in the last two months.
Mr. Reddy criticised the previous Congress government for spending ₹ 5,280 crore on the Pranahita-Chevella project, which was redesigned as Kaleswaram project, in eight years. The money was used only for extending mobilisation advances to contractors and excavating canal network where water did not flow.
In any case, the government did not abandon it as they were used to create an ayacut of two lakh acres in Adilabad under Dr. Ambedkar Pranahita project.