KTR slams BJP, Congress over double-standards on Polavaram and Kaleshwaram dams

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has slammed the BJP for overlooking the repeated damage to the coffer dam of the under-construction Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh, while raising a hue and cry over the sagging pillars of the Kaleshwaram project in Telangana. He also criticized the Congress for failing to repair the damages in Kaleshwaram, pointing out that repairs at Polavaram were being carried out on a war footing.

Rao, popularly known as KTR, accused the national parties of bias after reports emerged that the Polavaram cofferdam was once again damaged due to heavy and continuous rainfall over the past ten days.

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Alleging large-scale corruption in the construction of the Polavaram project, KTR questioned why there was “one policy for the Kaleshwaram project, which is a boon to Telangana, and another policy for the Polavaram project.”

He noted that BJP leaders had rushed experts from the National Dam Safety Authority (NSDA) to Telangana within 24 hours after reports of sagging pillars at the Medigadda barrage of Kaleshwaram, especially during the Assembly elections, and used the issue to attack the BRS. “Why are they silent on the Polavaram cofferdam that was washed away for the second time before their eyes?” he asked.

Rao pointed out that the damage to the Polavaram cofferdam was reportedly about 10 feet wide and 7–8 feet deep, yet was being repaired urgently in Andhra Pradesh. In contrast, nearly 20 months have passed since the damage to Kaleshwaram’s barrage pillars was identified in Telangana, with no significant repair work undertaken.

The Polavaram cofferdam was earlier washed away in 2020 during a devastating flood in the Godavari, but Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu restarted the project after assuming office in 2024. However, the coffer dam has reportedly been damaged again during this monsoon season.