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A controversy over alleged engineering lapses in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project on the Godavari river in Telangana is driving everyone's attention right now with the Congress and the BJP accusing the state government of corruption.
So what is this massive project and what is the controversy around it? We Explain!
What is this Project?
Telangana is at an elevation of 300 metres to 650 metres above mean sea level and river Godavari, a major river in Telangana, flows at an elevation of 100 metres below mean sea level.
Thus, to transport the water of the Godavari river to the higher plains of the state, gigantic pumps had to be used for pumping water upwards.
What is so gigantic about this Project?
This is the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project and said to have the world’s largest underground pumping station, situated at 470 feet below the earth’s surface.
The station has seven ‘Bahubali’ motors to pump 2,376 metric tonnes of water. This project also has the longest underground irrigation tunnel in the world.
A very Complex Enginnering
A barrage has been constructed at Medigadda in Jayshankar Bhupalpally district to divert Godavari water through lifts and pumps into a huge and complex system of reservoirs, water tunnels, pipelines, and canals.
By the time the water reaches Kondapochamma Sagar, the last reservoir in the system about 227 km away in Gajwel district, the Godavari water would have been lifted to a height of 618 metres from its source at Medigadda.
Project Details
Total Length of the Project - 1832 km
Total Reservoirs - 20
Total Length of the Water Tunnels - 330 km
Total no. of water lifts - 20
Total no. of Pumps - 19
Longest Underground Tunnel in the Project - 21 km
Kaleshwaram Project – Benefits
Apart from the obvious benefits like irrigation, drinking water, transportation, and power, this projects will also help in other aspects such as - the fishing industry, development of water sports, and the tourism industry.
State Governments of Telangana and Maharashtra have signed water-sharing agreement from this project, thus putting an end to the decades-old disagreement between the 2 states.
What is the controversy?
One of the primary concerns is the cost of the project, which is estimated to be around Rs 1.2 lakh crore, but the financial viability of continually using the project has also been called into question.
Also, in October, six piers of a reservoir of the project partially sank into the ground on October 21, forcing the authorities to empty the reservoir and ban traffic on the road constructed over the barrage.
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