Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has said that the National Dam Safety Authority‘s (NDSA) report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is a direct indictment of the previous BRS govt, revealing serious flaws in the project’s design, construction, and maintenance. He demanded that BRS leaders issue a public apology to the farmers of Telangana.
Speaking to the media at the Bharat Summit 2025 at HICC on Friday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state govt would thoroughly study the NDSA report and hold a detailed discussion during the upcoming cabinet meeting.

“BRS leaders should have some shame. The NDSA report clearly states the design was faulty, construction was faulty, and operation and maintenance were faulty. There was no proper soil testing or geophysical investigation,” he said.
‘BRS mortgaged T future’
The minister accused the previous administration of mortgaging Telangana’s future, alleging that the BRS borrowed over ₹1 lakh crore at high interest rates for a project that failed under its own watch.
“You claimed Kaleshwaram was a wonder. But you designed it, you built it, and it collapsed during your regime,” he added.
He further alleged that key barrages—Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla—were barely functional despite being showcased as a monumental achievement by the BRS government.
“Even with these non-functional structures, Telangana recorded record paddy production during the vanakalam season. That success belongs to the resilience of our farmers, not your failed engineering,” he said.
‘Not politically driven’
Responding to accusations that the NDSA report was politically motivated, Uttam clarified that the NDSA is an independent central agency comprising India’s top dam safety experts.
“This body was constituted while BRS was in power. Neither CM Revanth Reddy nor I appointed it. You should be ashamed that your project has been indicted by an institution created during your own rule,” he said.
The minister called the flaws in the Kaleshwaram project a “grave betrayal” of Telangana’s farmers and assured that those responsible would be held accountable.
“We will ensure this betrayal does not go unpunished. Those who built this project and enabled its flaws will face consequences,” he said.