Kaleshwaram Creates Historic Record

The world’s largest multi-stage Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme lifted hundreds of TMCs water from the Godavari river in the shortest possible time and set a  historic record. Three out of four major pump houses lifted 100 TMCs of water each. The Saraswathi and Parvathi pump houses in Link-1 and Gayatri underground pump house in package-8 lifted 100 TMCs of water each and made the impossible possible. The Laxmi pump house is all set to reach this milestone in a few days. Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) executed these pump houses in a record time and lifted hundreds of TMC water in the shortest possible time. 

The Telangana agricultural fields that once suffered from water scarcity have now turned into a granary. The farmers, who have been waiting for water for a long time, are now reforesting their lands with Kaleshwaram water's arrival. This multi-purpose lift irrigation scheme has changed Telangana's fate with the reservoirs and lakes in Telangana  now filled with abundant water. This dream project has been achieved because of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's commitment and MEIL's capabilities in execution. 

How the pumps made it possible? 

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated Laxmi, the largest pump house on the surface, on 6 July, 2019. In these 522 days, the 3rd machine pumped for 1,110 hours. The 13th machine worked for nearly 300 hours. This first pump house in the project has been built at the confluence point of Pranahita-Godavari river and the water pumping begins here. The pump house is about to reach the 100 TMCs water mark in the next few days. 

The Saraswathi pump house, which integrates the Laxmi and Parvathi, worked for 363 days and lifted 100TMCs of water to the upstream. The first machine in this pump house worked for a maximum of 1,347 hours, and the 12th machine worked a minimum of 200 hours. The last pump house in Link-1, Parvathi, pumped water for 504 days and lifted 100 TMCs of water. The second machine in this pump house pumped water for 1,076 hours, and the 14th machine pumped only 333 hours. 

The heart of the project - Gayatri Pumphouse

The world's biggest underground pump house, the Gayatri, is in Link-2, package-8. MEIL commenced this gigantic pump house on August 11, 2019 and lifted 100TMC water in a very short period. The Pranahita river water pumped water through Sreepada Sagar and Yellampally to Mid-Manair. The second machine in this pump house pumped for 1703 hours, and the second machine for 1367 hours and lifts water to 111 metres height. Each machine in the Gayatri pump house releases 3150 cusecs of water.

The massive pump houses built in this scheme is never before seen anywhere in the world. This scheme was built to lift 3TMC per day, with 20 pump houses and 104 machines. Out of 22 pump houses, MEIL built 15 in this prestigious project.

MEIL has achieved another marvellous record by constructing massive power substations and transmission lines. The Kaleshwaram project requires 5159MW power, and out of this, MEIL has established a 4439 MW power infrastructure. It built six 400KV and 220KV substations, 260 kilometres of transmission lines and 7 kilometres of 400KV XLPE underground cable network in two years of record time. 

Global players such as BHEL, Andriz and Xylam supplied the pumps and motors in the Kaleshwaram project. For the first time in the world, 17 machines have been set up in the Laxmi pump house at Medigadda. The Laxmi, Saraswathi and Parvathi pump houses have 43 machines with a capacity of 40 MW each. These Link-1 pump house has been built with 1720 MW capacity. The Saraswathi pump house at Annaram has 12 pumping units, and the Parvathi pump house at Sundilla has 14 units. These pumping units were completed in the shortest period and all the 43 machines are functioning now. 

All seven units in the world’s biggest Gayatri pump house (underground) in Package-8, with a capacity to pump two TMC water per day. Each unit capacity is 139 megawatts in this pump house. You can imagine that the size of this pump house alone can consume 973 MW of power. MEIL has set up machines at Ranganayakasagar with 135 MW capacity each. Four machines have been set up in Annapurna pump house with 106MW capacity.