Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched the aerial electromagnetic survey for SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal) tunnel works at Mannevari Palli in Nagarjunakonda district on Monday (November 03, 2025). During this, he fiercely attacked the previous BRS government and assured to complete this 40 kilometer long, world’s largest tunnel project soon.
The Chief Minister made it clear that his government is committed to completing this long pending project, the estimated cost of which has now reached Rs 4600 crore. Its objective is to provide irrigation facility to 3 lakh acres of land by lifting 30 TMC water from Krishna river.
CM Reddy’s attack on KCR
Chief Minister Reddy alleged that former Chief Minister K. During the 10-year rule of Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), the work of this prestigious SLBC tunnel was deliberately stopped due to political reasons. He said that this project, approved in 1983 and started in 2004 by the then YS Rajasekhara Reddy government at a cost of Rs 1968 crore, if the KCR government had completed it on time, would have cost around Rs 2000 crore, but today due to delay the cost has increased to Rs 4500 crore.
Revanth Reddy accused KCR of not taking up any new projects on the Krishna river and instead spending a total of Rs 1.86 lakh crore on contractors, including Rs 1.05 lakh crore on the Kaleshwaram project. He met Irrigation Minister N. Appreciated the efforts of Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is trying to involve army officers for digging the tunnel.
BRS accused of compromising the interests of Telangana
The Chief Minister said his government would redress the grievances of the residents of Marlapadu, Keshya Tanda and Nakkalagandi, whose settlements have been submerged near the project, and would provide them appropriate compensation. He also targeted former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao and accused the BRS government of compromising the interests of Telangana in the use of Krishna water.
Reddy said the previous government had signed an agreement with Andhra Pradesh to use only 299 TMC of water, while the Congress government is presenting strong arguments in the tribunal to claim the state’s share. He also warned Harish Rao to stop making cheap and absurd statements on water issues. Revanth Reddy said that people have ostracized BRS for not completing the project and his government will work on it on a war footing.
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