TRS to make most of Kaleshwaram to impress voters

​Hyderabad: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) appears to have decided to use the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) to impress people of its commitment to irrigation projects in Telangana state and thus earn electoral dividends.

The government has been facilitating Kaleshwaram tours for various sections of society, including officials, public representatives, journalists, students and others to showcase the massive construction going on at the irrigation project, which is said to be providing water to 60 per cent of the people of the State. The project aims at providing water to 37 lakh acres in 15 districts and could cater to the needs of 60 per cent of the people.

The project would also provide drinking water to Hyderabad through Yellampally. Nearly 45,000 workers are engaged in the construction activity. Works are on full swing for tunnel of 209 km length, gravity canal of 1,531 km and pressure canal of 98 km. The project has been creating record with usage of right from Governor E S L Narasimhan to students, all are making beeline to the construction site of the project, where works are on full swing with labours working in three shifts.

It all started after the Governor, floored by the hectic work going on for the completion of the mammoth project, described Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao as ‘Kaleshwaram Chandrashekar Rao’. Since then Kaleswaram became a mecca of sorts with visitors making a beeline to look at the grandeur in the making.

According to sources, with visits becoming a regular phenomenon, the officials at the site informed the higher-ups that it was affecting the works since the engineers had to spare time from their busy schedule to explain to the visitors. After this, the Irrigation department has deployed two engineers, especially for explaining the visitors about the project.

The members of the Legislative Council were taken to the project site in March. The MLAs are also expected to visit the site as the Chief Minister, during Assembly session had advised the Speaker to visit the site with members. The journalists covering beats such as TRS, GHMC, even crime were taken to the project site.

Recently, flagging off yatra of TRSV, the students’ wing of the party to the project site, Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao called up on the students to explain to the people about the works going on at the project site.

Latest to join the regular visits to the project site are about 400 fishermen led by Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav. The delegation would be visiting the project site at Medigadda, Kannepally and other reservoirs on April 23 with an intension to create awareness among the fishermen community.

Srinivas Yadav said that the Kaleshwaram project would boost fishing activity and about one lakh fishermen would be benefited with the massive project.

Party leaders said that the project would help the government in building its image and a positive opinion on the functioning of the administration and ultimately help in getting the support of the people.

MLC K Prabhakar said that once the project gets completed, the Godavari river would look like a pot full of water right from Medigadda to Ranganayak Sagar and Kondapochamma Sagar near Hyderabad.