The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), the world’s largest multi-stage and multipurpose lift irrigation scheme, designed to harness the flood waters of the Godavari, is aimed at making Telangana drought-proof. In a state that accounts for the second highest number of farmers’ suicides after Vidarbha in Maharashtra due to water scarcity, the project carries a promise of bringing an end to the woes of farmers in Telangana.
Inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Telangana, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, on June 21, 2019, the aim of the project is to divert 180 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of Godavari flood water first to Sripada Sagar Yellampalli barrage and then to Mallanna Sagar from the Pranahita confluence point. The mega irrigation project is one of the chief minister’s biggest election promises to farmers—irrigation facility for all.
About the Project Said to be the world’s biggest irrigation project, the KLIP is an off-shoot of the original Pranahitha-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme taken up by the Congress government in 2007 before Andhra Pradesh got divided. When the new state Telangana was created in 2014, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government redesigned the project as the original plan had too many environmental obstacles and very low water storage provision—only about 16.5 tmc ft. After conducting a highly advanced light detection and ranging (LiDAR) survey for a couple of months, the government separated the original component serving the Adilabad area as the Pranahitha project and renamed the rest as Kaleshwaram by redesigning the head works, storage capacity, and the canal system based on the data of availability of water at different locations along the course of the Godavari and its tributaries.
The Kaleshwaram project has the provision of storing about 148 tmc ft, with plans of utilising 180 tmc ft by lifting at least 2 tmc ft water every day for 90 flood days. The project is designed to irrigate 7,38,851 ha (over 18.47 lakh acres) uplands in the districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda, and Ranga Reddy.
The government is pursuing various clearances and permissions with the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and the Central Water Commission (CWC). The MoEF has permitted the utilisation of 3,168 ha (7,920 acres) of forestland, including 302 ha in Maharashtra. The project requires a total of 32,000 ha. Due to severe opposition from a section of farmers against land acquisition for the Mallannasagar reservoir, the State amended the 2013 Land Acquisition Act to hasten the process.
By 2019-end, a 120-km long link involving tunnels, canals, and pumps between Medigadda and Mid Manair reservoir was to be completed, thereby finishing 50 per cent of the project construction.
Irrigation Project KLIP, the ` 80,500-crore engineering marvel, is unique in design and scope, featuring the longest tunnel to carry water in Asia, running up to 81 km, between the Yellampally barrage and the Mallannasagar reservoir. The tunnel can carry 2 tmc ft 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 8 pumping stations located 150 m underground. This pumping station has five floors, with each floor housing lifting operations.
Waters of the Godavari will be tapped by reverse pumping and storage, thereby facilitating agriculture on over 38 lakh acres, including creating about 18 lakh acres of new ayacut, helping rejuvenate thousands of tanks, providing water for industries, and supplying drinking water to cities and towns, which would include Secunderabad and Hyderabad. This project would also support Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha schemes which aim to provide drinking water to many villages and improve the capacities of tanks.
Barrages and pumphouses have been constructed at Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla, from which water will be moved to fill Yellampalli and Sriram Sagar projects. This will allow river Godavari to be alive on a 199-km stretch in Telangana.
The project’s mega pumps and motors have been designed to lift water 100–600 m and carry it 400 km through the main canal.
Recharging the State’s Water Table
Water would be stored in Godavari by construction of barrages and reservoirs and continuous pumping of water.
Through its vast system of underground canals, the project will help in recharging the water table, which will prove to be a boon for cultivation and sustainable farming. One can envisage the booming of agro-based industries and a reverse trend of migration from urban to rural Telangana owing to a strong farmer community as their livelihoods stabilise.
* The costliest irrigation project undertaken by any state in India so far, KLIP is worth more than ` 80,000 crore.
* The project is set to irrigate 18 lakh acres of land in 13 districts, stabilising another 17 lakh acres in another seven districts, thereby covering almost the entire state.
* The water will come from the Medigadda barrage through a 14.09 km long underground tunnel, which would be the longest irrigation tunnel in the world.
* It will have the world’s biggest pumphouse with 7 pumps of 139 MW each deployed under the ground, with 8 pumping stations to be located 150 m underground.
* The Kaleshwaram irrigation project will harness water at the confluence of three rivers with Godavari through a barrage at Medigadda in district Jayashankar Bhupalpally. From here, the water will be reverse-pumped into the main Godavari and diverted into a huge and complex system of reservoirs, water tunnels, pipelines, and canals.
* The Kaleshwaram irrigation project is divided into seven links and 28 packages, requiring the digging up of 20 reservoirs in 13 districts, having a capacity of holding 145 tmc ft water. All these reservoirs would form an interconnected network of tunnels running through around 330 km.
* The longest tunnel, 21-km long, would connect Yellampalli reservoir with Medaram reservoir.
* The canal network under the project will cover 1832 km, taking water as far as 500 km from the source.
* The highest point of the project will be the Kondapochamma reservoir in Gajwel at a height of 650 m from main sea level where water will be lifted.
* The Kaleshwaram irrigation project is designed to let 139 MW mammoth pumps lift 2 tmc ft of water daily. This water will be pumped into two barrages—Annaram and Sundilla. From here, the water will go to Yellampalli reservoir. The distribution of water will begin from Yellampalli through gravity canals and pipelines.
* The water would be supplied from Medigadda Barrage through a 14.09 km underground tunnel.
* The cavern and surge pool, from where the pump would operate, also holds the world record with a capacity of holding 2 crore litres of water.