‘Medigadda chosen after CWC report’

HYDERABAD: Defending the TRS government’s decision to change the intake point site of

Kaleshwaram

lift irrigation project from

Tummidihatti

to Medigadda, irrigation minister

T Harish Rao

told the

Assembly

that the decision was taken after the Central Water Commission’s report on availability of water.

The CWC has said that water availability in Godavari river would be around 42 TMC at Tummidihatti and 141TMC at Medigadda. “So the government decided to shift the intake point to Medigadda, which can cater to the needs of 19 districts,” said the minister. The step has also reduced submergence and paved the way for an agreement with Maharashtra.

Answering a question during a debate in the Assembly on Saturday, the minister said the change of intake point was taken after a series of deliberations with water, agriculture and power experts.

Replying to allegations that

Pranahita

project was shelved to take up Kaleshwaram, the minister pointed out that Pranahita project, with a capacity of 14 TMC, would not have provided water to 37 lakh acres additional ayacut.