Kaleshwaram Collapse Is BRS Failure: Uttam Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad, April 29: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday held the previous BRS government squarely responsible for the collapse of the Kaleshwaram project, calling it the biggest man-made disaster since Independence and the most expensive engineering failure caused by any state government in India. He said Telangana is currently paying ₹16,000 crore annually towards interest and instalments on high-cost loans borrowed during the BRS regime for this faulty project, placing an enormous burden on the State’s finances and its farmers.

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Releasing the final report of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat, the Minister said the findings confirmed the structural collapse of all three barrages—Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla—and exposed the inefficiency, negligence, and deliberate mismanagement of the previous regime under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Kaleshwaram project was not based on scientific principles but on a campaign of lies, propaganda, and false publicity. He reminded the public that the original plan was the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Project at Tummadihatti, for which even the then TRS government had sought national project status.

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However, KCR abandoned it and instead reengineered and redesigned everything to launch Kaleshwaram, falsely promising that both projects would be completed. Instead of sustainable planning, the previous regime opted for hurried execution funded by high-interest loans, resulting in massive financial losses. “All three barrages have structurally collapsed. I am giving this presentation to set the facts on record and show the people how their hard-earned money was misused,” he said.

He pointed out that the barrages were originally designed to regulate just 2 TMC of river water. However, over 10 TMC was stored in each, driven purely by a publicity agenda, causing foundational damage and eventual collapse. The NDSA report confirmed that safety protocols were ignored, borehole investigations were inadequate, and maintenance records were absent, in violation of legal mandates. “Signs of seepage and damage were noticed as early as 2019, but the BRS government ignored them. This criminal negligence caused financial losses of thousands of crores to Telangana,” he said.

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Uttam Kumar Reddy added, “The Kaleshwaram collapse is not a natural tragedy. It is a direct result of the BRS government’s irresponsible decisions. It has dealt a serious blow to Telangana’s finances and to the lives of farmers. Telangana is paying ₹16,000 crore every year just in loan repayments for this failed project. This is public money lost due to a political stunt.”

The Minister said it was outrageous and shameful that KCR, instead of accepting responsibility, is now attacking the credibility of the NDSA and questioning its authority. “This is a huge injustice to Telangana. It has deeply hurt the sentiments of our people and destroyed the credibility of our state in the eyes of the country. When we recently approached the Ministry of Jal Shakti seeking clearance for the Sitaramasagar project, the officials refused to consider it because our irrigation system had collapsed,” he added.

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He also refuted the falsehoods surrounding the original Pranahita-Chevella project. “They said there was no water there, but that was a lie. The project cost was escalated, and public money was wasted. Over ₹1.81 lakh crore was shown as irrigation expenditure, all pushed through post-facto approvals,” he said. He added that despite the collapse of Kaleshwaram, Telangana achieved record paddy production in the Yasangi season under the Congress government, proving that good governance, not faulty engineering, ensured success.

The NDSA report recommended urgent stabilisation, repair, and rehabilitation of the damaged structures, and the Minister stressed the need for expert-driven technical intervention.

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He assured that the Congress government would take every necessary step. “All decisions will be taken after Cabinet discussion. Action will follow as per law. Those who gave the orders that led to this disaster will be held accountable,” he said. He also announced a public awareness campaign to educate citizens on how the BRS regime betrayed Telangana.

“Technical institutions like WALAMTARI, which once trained irrigation engineers, must be urgently strengthened. We are working on a scientific plan, with expert inputs and no political interference,” he said.

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Advisor Adityanath Das is currently reviewing the feasibility of reviving the original Tummadihatti-based Pranahita-Chevella project. The Minister said this was a moment of reckoning for Telangana, and the Congress government would ensure that no such betrayal happens again.

“This is not politics. This is a rare and gross failure of public infrastructure. A judicial commission has already been constituted and will take note of these facts,” he added.

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Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Jupally Krishna Rao, Advisor to Telangana Government Mohammed Ali Shabbir, TPCC Working President Jagga Reddy, Lok Sabha MP Balram Naik, and senior officials were also present. (Maxim News)

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