Hyderabad: The Congress-led Telangana government has launched a Rs 1.5 lakh crore Musi riverfront development project. The plan involves drawing 20 TMC of water from the Kaleshwaram project’s Mallannasagar reservoir. This comes despite the party’s earlier criticism of Kaleshwaram as a failed scheme.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will lay the foundation stone on Monday for Phases 2 and 3 of the Godavari Drinking Water Scheme. The initiative aims to supply drinking water to Hyderabad and revive the Musi river. Of the 20 TMC to be diverted, 17.5 TMC is for Hyderabad’s needs and 2.5 TMC for Musi rejuvenation.
Kaleshwaram water key to Hyderabad’s supply plan
The project will be executed in two packages under a hybrid annuity model, with a total cost of Rs 7,360 crore. Megha Engineering and Larsen & Toubro secured the contracts through finalized tenders.
The first package, worth Rs 3,330.95 crore, includes two 3,000 mm pipelines from Mallannasagar to Ghanapur. It also involves a high-capacity pump house, a substation, a 1,170 MLD water treatment plant, and a 40 million-litre clear water reservoir.
The second package, estimated at Rs 2,052.72 crore, covers water transfer from Ghanapur to Usmansagar. The route passes through Kokapet and along the Outer Ring Road. It includes linking pipelines between Usmansagar and Himayatsagar, water treatment plants at both sites, and multiple pump houses and substations. A 22.5 MLD balancing reservoir will be set up near Golden Mile.
Congress replaces KCR’s Keshavapuram plan
The previous BRS government, led by K. Chandrashekar Rao, had proposed a separate 10 TMC reservoir at Keshavapuram. The project received administrative approval in 2017 with a budget of Rs 4,777.59 crore. A design firm, WAPCOS, later reduced the proposed storage to 5.04 TMC and suggested using Kondapochamma Sagar instead.
Though construction had begun under MEIL’s contract, the Revanth Reddy government cancelled the Keshavapuram plan in November 2024. It opted instead to draw water from Mallannasagar.
Kaleshwaram now central to Congress plans
The Musi project depends on Kaleshwaram infrastructure including reservoirs, tunnels, pump houses, and canals. This reliance contradicts Congress’s earlier claims that Kaleshwaram was a waste of public funds. The same network they once criticized is now central to their urban development strategy.
The government acknowledged that sub-projects like Annapurna, Ranganayakasagar, and Mallannasagar are part of Kaleshwaram. Using this water for Hyderabad’s long-term supply shows the project’s ongoing importance.
