The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has accorded environmental clearance for the Kaleshwaram irrigation project in Telangana.

The project is estimated to cost about ₹80,499.7 crore and proposed to be completed in three years.

However, it directed the State to take care of changes in the micro-climatic conditions in the project area during the construction and post construction period of the project as it involves submergence of a large area.

Sets conditions

While according clearance, the committee directed that there was a need to plan a greenbelt and reservoir rim treatment in consultation with the State Forest Department, focussing on local indigenous species.

It wanted the government to take up construction work after following due procedure of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Compensation issue

The State was directed to ensure that at no point of time, the losers of land have any grievances on compensation and the displacement shall be taken up only after completing the process of land acquisition, including providing full compensation to all the project oustees.

It also called upon the State to file six monthly compliance reports to MoEF, Chennai, until completion of the modernisation works.

Covers seven districts

The project envisages construction of a barrage across River Godavari near Madigadda village in Karimnagar district of Telangana. This aims to divert 180 TMC of water for providing irrigation facility in 7.38 lakh hectares covering seven districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Rangareddy districts.

It also proposed to stabilise the existing command area of 7.62 lakh hectares.

Apart from these, the project seeks to provide drinking water facility for Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

As per estimates, the total land required is about 32,000 hectares and of this, about 2,866 hectares is forest land.

The total submergence area is estimated to be about 13,706 hectares.

More barrages planned

Apart from Medigadda barrage, two more barrages between Medigadda and Sripada Yellampally are proposed to be constructed.

The project will have a canal system of about 1,832 km. The project lies in the interstate boundary with submergence of 302 hectares in Maharashtra.

Significantly, the project requires about 4,227 MW of power to be supplied by TSGenco. Public hearings for the project were conducted across 15 districts of the State and one district in Maharashtra.

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