Hyderabad: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has proclaimed the Kaleshwaram Project as the ‘Enduring Symbol of Engineering Progress and Partnership’ at the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023.
Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao, on Monday, received the plaque bestowing the prestigious recognition to the project, at the congress held by ASCE in Henderson, Nevada, USA from ASCE president Maria Lehman.
Pointing out that the project strives to increase the total cultivable command area across the 13 districts, the ACSE recognition said that the project, in addition to constructing new reservoirs, was rejuvenating existing ones as well.
Speaking at the event, KTR called the journey of Telangana a story of resilience and transformation, groundbreaking engineering achievements and the odyssey of the purpose-driven leadership of one man.
“The Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and Mission Bhagiratha were not only completed in record time but also with utmost efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” said KTR.
He further added that the Kaleshwaram Project, which lifts river water from an elevation of 90 metres to 618 metres above sea level, was completed in a record span of just four years with an investment of 11 billion dollars.
Stating that Telangana had achieved extraordinary milestones in the last nine years, and was now boasting the highest per capita income in the country, the minister said that the state had become the second-largest contributor of rice from the earlier position of 24th and was the only state in India providing free drinking water to its citizens.
“Through strategic planning, innovative thinking, and meticulous execution, chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao translated his vision into tangible results,” said KTR.
Recalling the Kaleshwaram story, KTR said that the chief minister had assumed the roles of both chief architect and engineer, and despite naysayers and conventions, devised the Kaleshwaram Multi-Stage Lift Irrigation Project.
Briefing the project, KTR said the amount of earth moved during its construction would fill 101 Pyramids of Giza, while the steel used in the project would be enough to build 66 Eiffel Towers, and the concrete poured would erect 53 Burj Khalifas and in the American context, a few Hoover Dams.
KTR said that by lifting a river against all odds, chief minister KCR has uplifted millions of lives and livelihoods in Telangana.
“As the river flows with renewed vigour, may the spirit of the Kaleshwaram Project continue to inspire us to defy limits and create a future where no challenge is too great, and no dream is out of reach,” concluded KTR.
KTR further offered to host the IPWE convention in Telangana in 2025.
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