The Telangana government's flagship schemes -- Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, and Mission Bhagiratha, the ambitious drinking water project -- have received praise from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The Kaleshwaram project has been recognised as an enduring symbol of engineering progress and partnership by the ASCE, which organised the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in Nevada, USA.


The ASCE's plaque bestowing the recognition to the project was handed over to IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao by ASCE president Maria C Lehman. Rama Rao was invited to give a detailed presentation on the topic 'Many Benefits and Social Equity from Lifting a River: Story of the World's Largest Multi-stage Lift Irrigation Project' at the conference attended by over 1000 delegates from across the world.






ASCE is an umbrella body representing more than 1,50,000 civil engineers in 177 countries. Founded in 1852, ASCE is America's oldest engineering society.


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Earlier this year, a delegation from the ASCE visited Telangana and toured the Kaleshwaram project site.


Speaking on the occasion, Minister KTR recounted the remarkable transformation of Telangana in the last nine years. "Telangana has successfully built the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, Kaleshwaram, and completed the ambitious Mission Bhagiratha, providing piped drinking water to every home in the state. These remarkable projects were not only completed in record time but also with utmost efficiency and cost-effectiveness," he said.


The Minister described how Telangana, which was earlier suffering from a shortage of irrigation water and clean drinking water, widespread migration, and farmer suicides, has changed because of the visionary leadership of Chief Minister K Chadrashekar Rao.


The Kaleshwaram Project, which lifts river water from an elevation of 90 metres to 618 metres, was completed in just four years with an investment of US$ 11 billion, the minister said.


"The Kaleshwaram Project has transformed Telangana into the new rice bowl of India, irrigating lakhs of acres with two cropping cycles. The gross irrigated land has increased by an impressive 119%, and paddy production has multiplied fourfold, from 3 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 15 million tonnes in 2022–23," he added.


(With IANS inputs)