KTR accuses Telangana government of wasting Godavari waters

With reservoir levels dwindling and monsoon uncertainty deepening, BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded that the Congress government immediately commence lifting water through the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme in the interest of the State. He warned that if the government failed to act, the BRS would launch a statewide agitation under the directions of party president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

He alleged that, in collusion with the BJP-led Centre, the Congress government in Telangana was deliberately refusing to lift Godavari River waters through the Kaleshwaram project despite tens of TMCft of water flowing wastefully into the sea. He said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was sacrificing the interests of Telangana’s farmers solely to sustain the false narrative he had built against the Kaleshwaram project.

After inspecting the Lower Manair Dam in Karimnagar on Monday, Rama Rao stepped up the party’s offensive against the Congress government for refusing to operate the Kannepalli pumps due



to political vendetta against the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme rather than technical constraints. He said nearly one lakh cusecs of water was flowing past Medigadda and around nine TMCft of water was being wasted every day. He said reservoirs across the Godavari River basin were holding less than 20 per cent of their capacity despite the availability of water for lifting.

The BRS working president charged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with criminal negligence for allowing Godavari River waters to flow wastefully into the sea while Telangana inches towards an irrigation and drinking water crisis. He warned that unless pumping began immediately, Telangana would soon face severe drinking water shortages, including in Hyderabad.

Appealing to the government to set aside its ego, he said the issue transcended politics and concerned Telangana’s water security. “Fight the BRS politically if you want, but do not punish farmers. Switch on the pumps and save Telangana’s crops and drinking water,” he said.