The mega Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, aimed a transforming and drought-proofing Telangana, has been documented. It will be telecast on June 25 by Discovery Channel under the title ‘Lifting A River’.
Filmed over nearly three years, ‘Lifting A River’ captures every phase of the Kaleshwaram project, right from the mammoth scale of construction to the precision of science and engineering.
Made by documentary filmmaker Kondapalli Rajendra Srivathsa of Pulse Media, it sheds light on a fascinating world spanning science and technology, art and culture, social messaging and human interest stories. A dream project of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, it is being implemented by Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited.
The gigantic, multi-staged Kaleshwaram project, is unique in seeking to divert the path of Godavari river, lift its water from low flowing levels to upper areas by deploying gigantic pumping machines at multiple levels 600 meters above sea level.
The Godavari water thus pumped up is being stored in reservoirs and canals, and has managed to recharge lakes and ponds.
MEIL has installed 15 gigantic pumping stations in the project, having 104 pumps with a total pumping capacity of 5,159 MW. Of these, MEIL has installed 4,439 MW pumping stations, never built anywhere in the world.
Under Package-8, at the Gayatri underground pumping Station, seven units were commissioned to pump up two TMCs of water per day. The capacity of each unit is 139 MW, considered to be the biggest in the world. This plant has a pumping capacity of 973 MW.
Likewise, pumping stations have been set up at Medigadda Lakshmi pump house (17 machines), at Annaram Saraswati (12), Sundilla Parvati (14) and at Gayatri Underground Pumping Center (7), Annapurna (4), Ranganayakasagar (4) and two units each in Akkaram and Markuklo pump houses as part of the Kondapochamma package. The Mallannasagar Reservoir, which is part of the Kaleshwaram project, has a storage capacity of 52 TMC.