BRS terms Irrigation Minister’s comments after NDSA meet as ‘white lies’
Former minister Harish Rao faults State govt., NDSA for not taking up sub-surface tests to bring out facts
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has termed the comments of Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy in New Delhi on Saturday after a meeting with the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) officials as white lies and proving his lack of understanding on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
Senior leader of BRS and former minister for irrigation T. Harish Rao hit back strongly at Mr. Uttam Reddy for “spreading lies” on Kaleshwaram continuously. Highlighting the contradiction in the latter’s claims, the BRS leader pointed out that on one hand, the Minister had stated that the government took measures to strengthen the foundation of Medigadda Barrage and on the other, he admitted that sub-surface geophysical and geo-technical tests were not carried out so far.
Mr. Harish Rao stated that the interim report of the NDSA was submitted to the government on May 5 recommending several measures to strengthen the structures and conducting several sub-surface tests at Medigadda and the other two barrages of the Kaleshwaram project by July first week. However, the State government had decided to take up the sub-surface tests with the help of CWPRS and CSMRS in July second week and before it could start, flood had arrived as per the Minister’s own admission.
Blaming both the NDSA and the State governments for not completing the sub-surface tests in time, he said there were allegations on the interim report of the national agency from the beginning that it was done in a hurry to malign the BRS before the Lok Sabha elections in the State.
The NDSA had washed its hands of the issue with a suggestion to conduct the sub-surface tests and submit a report to it after pointing out that there could be problems in planning, design, construction, quality check and maintenance without any concrete proof to benefit both the Congress and BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Harish Rao claimed.
He pointed out that the interim report had also mentioned such damages to irrigation structures could happen due to the sub-surface geo-physical changes, but it was conveniently forgotten by all. No government or engineer would wish such damages took place and reiterated that it was an unfortunate incident due to the sub-surface (beneath the river bed) geo-physical changes, and the Minister’s claims of water lifting, tank filling, new ayacut creation and stabilisation were all misleading.
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