Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, on Jun 21, 2019 inaugurated the Rs 80,190 crore Kaleshwaram irrigation project at its starting point in Medigadda in Jayshankar Bhupalapally) district of the state in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
About Kaleshwaram irrigation project
- It is Telangana’s state project and claimed to be the world’s largest multi-stage and multi-purpose lift irrigation scheme, mint to to irrigate over 37 lakh acres of new and existing ayacuts and supply drinking water to Hyderabad and villages en route.
- Uder the projct Telangana will harness water at the confluence of two rivers with Godavari by constructing a barrage at Medigadda in Jayshankar Bhoopalpally district and reverse pump the water into the main Godavari river and divert it through lifts and pumps into a huge and complex system of reservoirs, water tunnels, pipelines and canals.
- Barrages have been constructed at Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla, from which water will be moved to fill Yellampalli and Sriram Sagar Projects.
- With this, the Godavari will be alive on a 199-km stretch in Telangana.
- The world’s largest pumping station has been set up underground and has a 81-km tunnel running between Yellampalli barrage and Mallanna Sagar reservoir. The tunnel can carry 2 TMC water (22,000 cusecs) continuously.
- The world’s biggest pump house in Package-8 with 7 pumps of 139 MW each has been deployed underground, along with eight pumping stations located 150 metres underground. This pumping station has five floors with each floor housing lifting operations
- L&T Construction, the construction arm of Larsen & Toubro, completed the iconic Medigadda Barrage, in just 24 months.
