Hyderabad; BRS working president KT Rama Rao alleged that the Congress govt , in collusion with the BJP, is deliberately refusing to lift Godavari waters through the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, despite tens of TMCs of water flowing wastefully into the sea. He said CM Revanth Reddy was sacrificing the interests of Telangana’s farmers solely to sustain the false narrative he had built against the Kaleshwaram project.Addressing the media after inspecting the Mid Manair Reservoir in Karimnagar district on Monday, KTR said the Congress govt was allowing standing crops to dry up by denying irrigation water, even as massive quantities of Godavari water continued to flow downstream unused. He urged the govt to immediately resume lifting water through Kaleshwaram in the interest of farmers and warned that if it failed to act, BRS would announce a statewide agitation under the directions of party president K. Chandrashekar Rao.KTR said that before the Congress came to power, the Mid Manair reservoir remained full, whereas today it is drying up due to the govt’s deliberate inaction. He said that lifting water from the Kannepalli pump house could effectively address both irrigation and drinking water shortages at a time when Telangana is facing the threat of drought.Accusing the Congress govt of acting out of political vendetta against the previous BRS govt and the Kaleshwaram project, KTR said the administration had completely ignored farmers’ interests. He alleged that the govt was refusing to consider the recommendations of retired irrigation engineers, technical experts, and the opposition parties, while instead resorting to personal attacks against them.Refuting the Chief Minister’s claim that there was no flood flow in the Godavari, he said enormous quantities of water were flowing downstream every day and that neighbouring Andhra Pradesh was successfully lifting the same water for its own needs. He alleged that the Telangana govt was deliberately preventing water from being lifted through Kaleshwaram, thereby serving the interests of neighbouring states at the cost of Telangana farmers.KTR pointed out that although lakhs of cusecs of water were flowing past Medigadda, the govt was not utilising the opportunity to lift nearly 2 TMC of water through the Kannepalli pump house without even lowering the Medigadda barrage gates. Despite being fully aware of these technical possibilities, the govt continued to cite the NDSA report as an excuse to deny irrigation water to farmers, he said.According to KTR, the refusal to lift water from Kaleshwaram has endangered not only the Lower Manair and Mid Manair reservoirs but the entire chain of projects across the Godavari basin. He warned that with El Niño conditions prevailing, Telangana could soon face severe agricultural distress as well as a major drinking water crisis.The BRS leader said that if water was not lifted into the Yellampalli reservoir, even Hyderabad could face drinking water shortages. He recalled that under the previous BRS govt, Kaleshwaram water ensured uninterrupted drinking water supply to Karimnagar city, whereas today residents were struggling even for basic drinking water.KTR demanded that the Congress government immediately set aside political considerations, resume lifting water through the Kaleshwaram project, ensure irrigation water for farmers and drinking water for the people, and protect Telangana’s water interests. He warned that if the government continued to ignore these demands, BRS would intensify its statewide agitation in support of Telangana’s farmers.
