Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) is one of the largest multi-purpose irrigation projects in India, situated in the state of Telangana. It is an extensive infrastructure initiative aimed at harnessing and utilising the waters of the Godavari River to provide irrigation, drinking water, and industrial supply across several drought-prone districts. Renowned for its engineering complexity and scale, the project is considered a significant milestone in the water resource development history of southern India.

Background and Objectives

The Kaleshwaram Project was conceptualised following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the formation of Telangana in 2014. The new state faced acute water scarcity in its northern and central regions, despite its proximity to major rivers. The Godavari River, although flowing through the state, was underutilised due to geographical constraints and lack of lift irrigation facilities.
To address these challenges, the Government of Telangana, under Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, re-engineered the earlier Pranahita–Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme into the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, which was officially inaugurated in June 2019. The project aimed to make effective use of the state’s share of Godavari water allocated under inter-state agreements.
The principal objectives of the project include:

• Providing irrigation water to over 37 lakh acres (1.5 million hectares) of agricultural land.
• Supplying drinking water to cities and villages, including Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
• Supporting industrial development through reliable water supply.
• Improving groundwater levels and agricultural productivity in arid regions.

Design and Engineering Features

The Kaleshwaram Project is noted for its massive lift irrigation system, which lifts water from the Godavari River through a series of reservoirs, canals, and tunnels across multiple stages. It is considered one of the world’s largest and most complex lift irrigation schemes.
Key engineering components include:

• Intake Point: The project begins at the confluence of the Godavari and Pranahita rivers near Medigadda (Kaleshwaram village, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district).
• Pumps and Lifts: Water is lifted in multiple stages to overcome an elevation difference of nearly 600 metres.
• Pumping Stations: The project includes seven major pump houses, including the Ramadugu, Medigadda, Annaram, Sundilla, and Nandi Medaram stations. The Lakshmi (Medigadda) pump house is one of Asia’s largest underground pumping stations.
• Reservoirs and Storage: It incorporates 20 reservoirs with a combined capacity of over 141 TMC (thousand million cubic feet).
• Tunnels and Canals: A network of tunnels and gravity canals carries the lifted water across different command areas.
• Total Capacity: The project is designed to lift and store approximately 195 TMC of water annually.

The entire system operates through advanced automation and remote control technologies, enabling real-time monitoring of pumping operations and water distribution.

Funding and Implementation

The Kaleshwaram Project was executed by the Telangana State Irrigation Development Corporation (TSIDC) with the technical support of major engineering firms such as Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL).

• Estimated Cost: Initially estimated at around ₹80,000 crore, the cost escalated due to changes in design and scope, with revised estimates exceeding ₹1 lakh crore.
• Financing: The project was funded through a combination of state government allocations, loans from public sector banks, and financial institutions.
• Implementation Timeline: Construction began in 2016 and major components became operational by 2019, marking record speed in execution for such a large-scale project.

Benefits and Impact

The Kaleshwaram Project has brought significant socio-economic and environmental benefits to Telangana.
Agricultural Benefits:

• Assured irrigation to over 37 lakh acres of farmland in districts such as Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak, Nizamabad, and Nalgonda.
• Introduction of multiple cropping patterns and high-value cash crops due to water availability.
• Improvement in groundwater recharge through canal networks and percolation.

Drinking Water Supply:

• Provision of potable water to major urban centres, including Hyderabad and surrounding rural areas.
• Reduction in dependence on groundwater for domestic use.

Industrial and Economic Growth:

• Reliable water supply for industrial corridors such as Hyderabad–Warangal and Hyderabad–Nagpur routes.
• Boost in employment and ancillary infrastructure development in construction, maintenance, and irrigation-based industries.

Environmental Benefits:

• Stabilisation of local ecosystems through increased vegetation cover.
• Improved soil moisture and microclimate balance in semi-arid regions.

Challenges and Criticism

Despite its scale and achievements, the Kaleshwaram Project has faced several challenges and controversies:
1. Environmental Concerns:

• Environmentalists have criticised the project for inadequate environmental clearance and potential submergence of forest areas.
• Concerns were raised about the displacement of local communities and loss of biodiversity due to reservoir construction.

2. Financial Sustainability:

• The project’s high capital and operational costs, especially electricity consumption for lifting water, have raised concerns about long-term sustainability.
• Estimates suggest that operating pumps requires around 4,500 MW of power, significantly burdening the state’s electricity grid.

3. Structural and Technical Issues:

• In July 2023, partial damage to the Medigadda barrage piers was reported, leading to debates over design quality and maintenance standards.
• Technical experts highlighted the need for periodic safety audits and structural reinforcement.

4. Legal and Inter-state Disputes:

• The utilisation of Godavari waters has been contested by neighbouring states, including Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, leading to discussions over water-sharing agreements.

Significance and Legacy

The Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project stands as a symbol of Telangana’s developmental ambition and engineering prowess. It reflects India’s growing capability to undertake large-scale water management projects to address regional disparities in water availability.
Beyond irrigation, KLIP has become a model for integrated water resource management, combining technology, policy, and infrastructure to ensure equitable distribution of water. It demonstrates how lift irrigation can transform agrarian economies in semi-arid regions, although questions about cost-efficiency and environmental sustainability continue to be debated.