Change in national status policy hailed

TS request on Kaleshwaram pending with the Centre, says Vinod Kumar

The Telangana government has welcomed the change in the policy of the Centre in the matter of according national status to irrigation projects following its approval to the Upper Bhadra project in Karnataka as national project and requested the latter to extend the similar status to Kaleshwaram project. Vice Chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board B. Vinod Kumar urged the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) on Saturday to send the proposal of Kaleshwaram project, lying with it for long, to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for according the national project status. “Kaleshwaram has secured all clearances and approvals from the MoJS and the Ministry of Environment and Forests and it’s very much eligible to get the national project status”, he suggested. In contrast, the Upper Bhadra project in the K-8 sub-basin of Krishna with an estimated cost of ₹21,473 was being take up in violation of the tribunal award. Against the allocation of 9 tmc ft water to it at 65% dependability by the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal (KWDT-II), which is yet to be notified by the Centre, the Karnataka government has designed the project for utlisation of 29.9 tmc ft water.