Hyderabad: The Kaleshwaram project, touted as the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation scheme, was inaugurated by chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Medigadda in Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district on Friday.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy were present when the Medigadda barrage was opened.
The estimated Rs 80,000 crore project was built on the Godavari river, which originates in Maharashtra, flows through Telangana before merging with the sea in Andhra Pradesh.
Rao and his wife participated in ‘Jala Sankalpa Mahotsava Yagam’ at the Medigadda barrage earlier.
The scheme is expected to provide irrigation facility to 45 lakh acres for two crops, according to the state government, which said that it would also provide water to the ambitious Mission Bhagiratha drinking water supply project.
The project would also help in supplying drinking water to the one crore population of Greater Hyderabad on a daily basis, as also 16 TMC of water to thousands of industries in the state, it said.