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Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has affirmed that the state government was ready to rehabilitate and restore Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram barrages which are part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), based on the recommendations of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).

He demanded Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Eatala Rajendar to lead a delegation to Delhi and apprise the NDSA of the condition of the barrages for the release of Godavari water, and to convince the union government and order a Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) probe into the alleged Kaleshwaram project scam.

“ We respect Etela Rajender, but we do not respect the statements he has made. His stature would have been respected had he gathered details from the Irrigation Minister, the NDSA, or officials before making a comment on the release of water from Kaleshwaram Project,” he said, addressing the media in Hyderabad on Saturday, July 11.

He alleged that Rajendar was speaking at the behest of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders and lost his credibility. He also took strong exception to the retired engineers’ support to the BRS’ demand for lifting Godavari water from Kannepalli pump house.

He ridiculed what he termed the “Khiladi Group” headed by former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), with BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao, and now Etela Rajender as its members, and its “misinformation campaign” on the release of water from the barrages.

The chief minister clarified that the NDSA’s report had concluded that the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages were unsuitable for water storage.

“The NDSA recommended that all restoration designs, repairs, and related works be undertaken only with the approval of the NDSA or the CWC. We are ready to handover the barrages to NDSA for rehabilitation if the agency comes forward. Rajendar should take the responsibility of convincing the central agency to address the issue,” the chief minister said.

Further, he said that a minimum water level of 93.50 metre was required for pumping from Kannepalli pump house, but the current water level was only 89.90 metre.

“At Annaram and Sundilla, not a drop of water can be stored unless the gates are closed. The NDSA has already clearly advised against closing the gates to store water, citing safety concerns regarding the barrages,” he noted.

He said that though there has been water flow at Medigadda barrage, the water level didn’t not reach the 93.50 metre mark necessary for pumping from Kannepalli pump house located 18 kilometre away from the barrage. He claimed that the situation was similar at the Annaram and Sundilla barrages.

He explained that if water was lifted from Kannepalli pump house, it would flow back to Medigadda because the gates of the barrage still remained open, and as per the NDSA’s recommendations, closing the gates was not possible.

He further pointed out that the NDSA’s preliminary report has already stated that filling the Medigadda barrage with water would be hazardous due to the damage sustained by the 7th block, and that after conducting various tests and field inspections by experts, the NDSA had submitted its final report ten months later.

Revanth Reddy revealed that the Centre has constituted a special technical committee to handle the restoration of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages on June 30, 2026. He emphasised that the committee must be kept informed regarding any technical advice on the designs and restoration proposals, as well as inquiries, construction activities, quality control measures, and any proposed modifications.

“Was Harish Rao grazing donkeys when 105 TMC of water was diverted to Pattiseema Project in Andhra Pradesh during the BRS’ regime? Can the BRS leaders guarantee that Godavari water won’t be diverted to Polavaram Project if Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla become operational,” he questioned.