AP & Telangana State Head – Anandam Dundi :
To monitor the flood situation in North Telangana, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy visited the Sripada Yellampally project along with Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, TPCC president Mahesh Goud, and Ramagundam MLA Makkan Singh Thakur, and used the occasion to target former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao linking him to the ‘poor’ construction of the Kaleshwaram project.
Mr. Reddy, who arrived by a Helicopter, spoke to the media briefly making sharp political comments indirectly aimed at the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and its chief, K. Chandrashekar Rao. Describing Yellampally as the “heart of the Godavari projects,” he said it had stood firm even against unprecedented rains and heavy inflows.
Drawing a contrast, he pointed out that Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages were all built with the same design and quality standards. “Since Medigadda has become unusable, experts say Annaram and Sundilla are also in a similar condition,” he remarked.
Responding to criticism from former Ministers T. Harish Rao and K.T. Rama Rao for not lifting waters from Annaram and Sundilla, the Chief Minister said such arguments were “ridiculous.” He explained that as per the findings of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), there were serious issues in design, construction, and maintenance of the barrages. “If water is stored or lifted at Annaram or Sundilla, it would endanger lives downstream. Villages could be washed away,” he cautioned.
In a pointed jibe at Mr. KCR, Mr. Revanth Reddy said, “He or his Cabinet may not have read 80,000 books. That is why today the Congress government is consulting engineering experts and strictly following NDSA directions.”
On the question of legal action against his predecessor, the Chief Minister said the Judicial Commission report on the project irregularities was ready and would be tabled in the Assembly for discussion.
Officials explained the inflow and outlfow into the Yellampally due to the rains. Later, Mr. Reddy did an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in Kamareddy and Medak districts.