World’s Largest Lift Irrigation Project Inaugurated In Telangana

The government of Telangana, on Friday (21 June 2019) launched the multi-purpose irrigation project in Kaleshwaram, which lies in the Bhoopalpally district of Telangana. The capacity of this lift scheme is the largest of its kind, surpassing the Colorado lift scheme in the US and the Great Man-Made River in Egypt which took decades to complete. However, KLIP (Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project) was completed within a span of 3 years, making it the world’s largest project completed in the shortest time.

It was inaugurated by the Chief Ministers of Telangana, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh on the 21st of June. The inauguration took place in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district which borders with Maharashtra and Chattisgarh.

The project was constructed by the Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) which is an infrastructure company from Hyderabad, established in 1989. Built at a whopping cost of Rs. 80,500 crores across the Godavari river, it is said that it will fulfil the drinking water requirement of 70% of the state.

KLIP consists of 3 Barrages, 1531 km of Gravity Canals, and 20 Reservoirs with a total capacity of 147 TMC water irrigating 45 lakh acres of land in 2 years. Experts say that it can lift about half a kilometre of water using 4,992 MW of electricity to pump 2 TMC water per day.

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However, it is also facing various criticisms regarding the heavy expenditure and the cost of electricity. It has also become a subject to dispute on whether the project will benefit the farmers who face extreme drought. On analysis of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by civil society organisations, they say that 140 TMC of water is not enough for irrigating 45 lakh acres of land, and it’s economic feasibility.

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