Hyderabad: Criticising CM Revanth Reddy’s remarks of golden chapter during inauguration of 33 crest gates of Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka, former minister T. Harish Rao asked the CM what tangible benefits Telangana had actually secured.Harish Rao in a statement on Thursday said that instead of celebrating the replacement of gates at the Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka, the CM should explain what concrete assurances he had obtained regarding Telangana’s rightful share of Krishna waters.He questioned whether the CM had secured any commitment on protecting Telangana’s water allocation under the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS). Harish Rao asked whether Andhra Pradesh had agreed to permanently close the RDS outlets on its side and undertake repairs to the RDS barrage to ensure Telangana receives its legitimate share of water.Harish Rao also sought to know whether Karnataka had assured immediate repairs and regular maintenance of the RDS canal located within its territory. He said that the continued neglect of these issues has repeatedly deprived Telangana of the water it is entitled to under the project.He stated that merely replacing the Tungabhadra dam gates would not ensure Telangana receives its rightful 15.90 TMC of water. The old gates had functioned for decades, yet Telangana never received more than five TMC through the RDS. Therefore, he said, the replacement of the gates has no direct connection with Telangana securing its allocated share.Harish Rao questioned why the Chief Minister accepted the argument of “system losses,” pointing out that such a concept has no recognition in the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-I) award. He said Telangana’s legitimate share cannot be reduced by citing reasons that are not part of the Tribunal’s award.He further questioned why the Chief Minister failed to challenge AP over what he alleged was excess utilisation of Krishna waters. He claimed that AP was utilising substantial quantities of water through the KC Canal system and diverting additional river waters with Karnataka’s cooperation, causing injustice to Telangana.Harish Rao also expressed concern over proposed projects that, according to him, could adversely affect Telangana’s water rights. He questioned why the CM Revanth Reddy had not opposed Karnataka’s proposed Naveli Reservoir and AP’s proposed Gundrevula project, stating that both projects could significantly impact Telangana’s share of Krishna waters.Harish Rao said that unless Telangana’s rightful share of 15.90 TMC is guaranteed and the longstanding RDS issues are permanently resolved, describing the meeting as a “golden chapter” is completely unjustified. He alleged that while Telangana’s water rights remain unprotected, the govt is focusing more on publicity than on securing the state’s legitimate interests.ends/
