KALESHWARAM
PROJECT – GEOGRAPHY
News:
Restoration of
Kaleshwaram project unlikely in near future
What's
in the news?
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As the ruling Congress and the opposition
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana are indulging in a blame game over
the damages caused to the Medigadda barrage, the first of three barrages built
as part of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project on Godavari river, the
irrigation authorities have ruled out the possibility of bringing the project
back into operation in the near future.
Kaleshwaram
Lift Irrigation Project:
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The
Kaleshwaram Multipurpose Lift Irrigation Project, the world's largest irrigation and drinking water system, was
inaugurated in 2019 in Telangana.
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The multipurpose project involves the
States of Maharashtra and Telangana.
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The source of the water is the river Godavari.
Unique
features:
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It has the longest tunnel to carry water in Asia, running up to 81 km.
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The project would also utilise the highest
capacity pumps, up to 139 MW, in the country to lift water.
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By the time the water reaches
Kondapochamma Sagar, the last reservoir in the system about 227 kms away, the
Godavari water would have been lifted to a height of 618 metres from its source
at Medigadda.
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The project had to be built at such a size
and scale because while the Godavari flows at 100 metres below Mean Sea Level,
Telangana is located at 300 to 650 metres above MSL.
Significance:
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Kaleshwaram will transform Telangana into
an agricultural powerhouse.
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It will enable Telangana farmers to reap
multiple crops with a year-round supply of water.
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Mission
Bhagiratha is a project to supply drinking water to every
household in villages.
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This mission draws a large quantity of
water from the KLIS and some quantity from projects on River Krishna.