HC informs the center, the state about the request to put the KLIS project into operation

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the central and state governments in a writ petition seeking a direction to the National Dam Safety Authority to inspect the various dams and pumping stations of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and submit a report on the feasibility of partial utilization of the project.

HC Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, after hearing the objections of petitioner Srirambhatl Sharath Kumar, a practicing HC advocate, directed the Deputy Attorney General to appear before the court on July 21 when the matter will be heard again. The judge issued notices to union ministry secretary Jal Shakti, Telangana chief secretary, chief secretary (Irrigation and Area Command Development) and Telangana Retired Engineers Association. They were directed to submit their replies by the next date of hearing.

The petitioner said it had been almost three years since damage was noticed on one part of the Medigadda barrage in KLIS. NDSA officials then inspected the dam, inspected and found certain structural deficiencies in the dam. It wanted to repair the damaged structure. The authority did not want the dam operational because the repair was completed, the petitioner said.

Although damage to the Medigadda barrage was recorded as early as 2023, the state government has not taken any initiative to repair the affected structure. This indicated that the current government was planning to create an impression that the KLIS project itself was a disaster and the money spent on it was a waste, he claimed.

Apart from the government’s intentions, farmers have been facing hardship due to lack of rains at present. The season started a month ago, but the lack of rain has made life even more difficult for farmers. In this context, failure to repair the damaged dam and leaving the defunct KLIS worsened the entire agriculture in the state. It is high time the government stepped in and used all available water to make all the barrages of the KLIS project operational, he said.

Published – 15 Jul 2026 21:19 IST