Supreme Court indirectly affirms KCR’s irrigation vision

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India has dismissed petitions challenging the legality and integrity of Telangana’s flagship irrigation initiatives — the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) and the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS). The verdict is widely viewed as a strong endorsement of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s (KCR) vision to transform the state’s agrarian economy through ambitious water infrastructure projects.

Kaleswaram gets legitimacy

A two-judge bench comprising Justices Satish Chandra Sharma and B.V. Nagarathna rejected a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy, which alleged financial irregularities in the PRLIS. 

The Court noted the lack of substantive evidence and cited previous rulings by the Telangana High Court in 2018 that had dismissed similar allegations. Furthermore, the Central Vigilance Commission had also found no grounds to support claims of corruption. A separate 2018 petition aimed at halting the Kaleshwaram project was similarly dismissed, reinforcing judicial confidence in the legitimacy of both projects.

The Kaleshwaram project, hailed as the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation system, seeks to divert water from the Godavari River to irrigate over 18 lakh acres in northern Telangana, while also supplying water for industrial and domestic purposes. Though concerns have recently been raised by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) about the structural integrity of certain barrages, the project is widely celebrated for its transformative impact on Telangana’s agricultural productivity.

Palamuru-Rangareddy

The Palamuru-Rangareddy project, which aims to irrigate 12.3 lakh acres across six southern districts by lifting water from the Krishna River, has faced legal, environmental, and procedural delays. However, with the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the latest legal challenge, the project now has a clearer path forward, with a revised completion target set for December 2027.

Leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the party founded by KCR, welcomed the ruling as a validation of the former chief minister’s long-term strategy to address Telangana’s chronic water scarcity. “The Supreme Court’s verdict is a resounding affirmation of KCR’s unwavering commitment to Telangana’s farmers,” said BRS leader T. Harish Rao. “These projects are not just engineering feats — they are the very lifelines of rural Telangana.”

Despite the favorable ruling, some voices continue to raise concerns about the escalating costs and structural issues surrounding the projects.