Irrigation Minister exposes flaws in the project; blames BRS regime for massive irregularities and loss of public money

The decision to shift the barrage site from Tummidihatti to Medigadda was a historic blunder. The cost of this mistake has been paid by the public in the form of wasted resources and ecological damage - N Uttam Kumar Reddy Irrigation Minister 

metro india news  I hyderabad

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has strongly criticized the previous BRS-led government for gross mismanagement and corruption in the execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. Speaking at the State Secretariat during a detailed PowerPoint presentation based on the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) report on Monday, the Minister highlighted serious design flaws, structural failures, and financial irregularities associated with the project.

"The collapse of the Medigadda barrage is a direct result of structural deficiencies and poor maintenance, as clearly stated in the NDSA report," said Minister Reddy, while addressing the media. He added that the previous administration ignored key engineering principles, leading to rushed execution, alterations in approved designs, and grave consequences for the state and its people.

Uttam said the state government will adopt a holistic approach to the findings of the NDSA report, and the Cabinet will deliberate in detail to chart out a comprehensive action plan. He said the final decision on the repair works at the Medigadda barrage will also be taken by the Cabinet.

“The decision to shift the barrage site from Tummidihatti to Medigadda was a historic blunder. The cost of this mistake has been paid by the public in the form of wasted resources and ecological damage,” he said, adding that lakhs of crores of rupees in public funds have been misused due to the flawed execution of the project.

The Minister revealed that Rs 1 lakh crore in loans had been raised for the project, including high-interest, short-term borrowings. “The state is now burdened with Rs 16,000 crore in annual interest payments. All this for a project that was poorly planned and hastily executed,” he said.

Minister Uttam further pointed out that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) after construction had already begun — a violation also highlighted by the NDSA. “Only six boreholes were drilled for geotechnical investigation when 85 were required. This alone speaks volumes about the negligence involved,” he said.

He also criticized the former government for unauthorized changes in barrage construction sites — the Annaram barrage was shifted by 2.5 km and Sundilla by 5 km from the original DPR. These deviations further compromised the project’s integrity.

When asked about action against those responsible, the Irrigation Minister said, “We will proceed strictly as per law. Those accountable will be brought to justice.” On whether role of KCR, the then Chief Minister and also the Irrigation Minister during the project’s execution, would be probed , he said, “As far as I know, KCR was at the helm when this project was completed and inaugurated.”

Minister Uttam stated that the NDSA report would be submitted to the Justice P.C. Ghose-led Inquiry Committee for further investigation. He emphasized that environmental and financial damages have deeply affected districts like Nizamabad and Adilabad and assured that corrective steps will be taken to prevent such failures in the future.

As regards as construction of Tummidihatti hatti project, which the BRS government did not take up, he said that instructions have been given to Irrigation Advisor Aditya Nath Das to work on DPR and other technicalities relating to it.