Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP)

Why in News? The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), one of the world’s largest irrigation projects on the Godavari River in Telangana, India, aimed to irrigate millions of acres and provide drinking water but has faced significant setbacks.

Relevance : UPSC Pre & Mains

Prelims : Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP)  & other important irrigation projects/ NDSA

Mains :  GS 1 –Geography -Water Resources

 What are key issues with the Project?

• Initially launched in 2016 with an estimated cost of Rs 80,000 crore, the project’s cost escalated to over Rs1.47 lakh crore. Key issues include structural failures, such as the sinking of six piers at the Medigadda barrage in October 2023, and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
• A 2024 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report deemed the project economically unviable, citing a benefit-cost ratio of 0.52:1, meaning it yields only 52 paise for every rupee spent.
• The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) also criticized faulty design, construction, and maintenance. Political controversies have intensified, with accusations of financial irregularities and electoral bond connections involving the main contractor, Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL).
• The project’s failure to deliver promised benefits has sparked debates about its future and Telangana’s financial burden.

 About the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP):

• It is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally, Telangana, India.
• It is the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, designed to irrigate 18.25 lakh acres, provide drinking water to 70% of Telangana’s districts, and support industrial needs. Initiated in 2016 and inaugurated in June 2019, it was redesigned from the earlier Pranahita-Chevella project to address environmental and storage issues.

 Key Features:

• Scale: Spans 500 km across 13 districts with a 1,800 km canal network, 7 links, 28 packages, 20 reservoirs, 19 pump houses, and 203 km of tunnels, including the world’s longest underground irrigation tunnel (14.09 km).
• Water Allocation: Aims to produce 240 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water: 195 TMC from Medigadda Barrage, 20 TMC from Sripada Yellampalli, and 25 TMC from groundwater. Of this, 169 TMC is for irrigation, 30 TMC for Hyderabad’s municipal water, 16 TMC for industries, and 10 TMC for rural drinking water.
• Engineering: Features massive pumps (e.g., 139 MW units at Gayatri Underground Pumping Station) and a cavern with a 20 million-liter surge pool, the largest of its kind globally. It lifts water 618 meters from Medigadda to Kondapochamma Sagar.
• Cost: Initially estimated at Rs 80,500 crore, costs have escalated to over Rs 1.47 lakh crore, making it India’s costliest irrigation project.

Other Important recent Irrigation Projects in India:

Sardar Sarovar Dam Project (Gujarat):

• A multi-purpose project on the Narmada River, primarily for irrigation, hydropower, and drinking water. It irrigates 18.45 lakh hectares across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

Polavaram Project (Andhra Pradesh):

• A multi-purpose project on the Godavari River to irrigate 7.2 lakh acres, generate 960 MW hydropower, and provide drinking water to 28.5 lakh people across 611 villages.

Ken-Betwa River Linking Project (Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh):

• India’s first major river interlinking project, connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers to irrigate 10.6 lakh hectares, provide drinking water to 41 lakh people, and generate 103 MW hydropower.

Mekedatu Project (Karnataka):

• A proposed reservoir on the Cauvery River to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and irrigate 4.75 lakh acres in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.