Karimnagar (Telangana) [India], July 14 (ANI): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) alleged that the Congress government, 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 Chief Minister 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, KTR said the Congress government 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 government 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 (KCR).
KTR said that before the Congress came to power, the Mid Manair Reservoir remained full, whereas today it is drying up due to the government’s deliberate inaction. He noted 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 government of acting out of political vendetta against the previous BRS government and the Kaleshwaram project, KTR said the administration had completely ignored farmers’ interests. He alleged that the government was refusing to consider the recommendations of retired irrigation engineers, technical experts, and the Opposition, while instead resorting to personal attacks against them.
Refuting the Chief Minister’s claim that there was no flood flow in the Godavari, KTR 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 government 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 government 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 government continued to cite the NDSA report as an excuse to deny irrigation water to farmers, he said.
He accused both the Congress and the BJP of working together on the Kaleshwaram issue. While the State Irrigation Minister himself had acknowledged that repair works had been completed, the government continued to rely on the NDSA report to avoid lifting water. KTR described the report as “not an NDSA report but a Shikhandi Report,” alleging that it was politically motivated and prepared under the BJP-led NDA government to malign Telangana.
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 Nino conditions prevailing, Telangana could soon face severe agricultural distress as well as a major drinking water crisis.
He further cautioned that if water was not lifted into the Yellampalli reservoir, even Hyderabad could face drinking water shortages. He recalled that under the previous BRS government, Kaleshwaram water ensured uninterrupted drinking water supply to Karimnagar city, whereas today residents were struggling even for basic drinking water.
Strongly condemning the Chief Minister’s remarks against retired engineers, KTR said these were the very engineers who had fought for Telangana’s rightful share of river waters during the statehood movement and deserved respect rather than insults.
KTR alleged that the Chief Minister’s refusal to lift water stemmed solely from the fear that his repeated allegations against the Kaleshwaram project would be exposed as false.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s reported remarks that “blood” was needed before water could be lifted through Kaleshwaram, KTR recalled that senior BRS leader Prashanth Reddy, along with party student and youth wing activists, had voluntarily donated blood across the State with the message: “Take our blood if you want, but give water to Telangana’s farmers.”
He further alleged that the government was using the NDSA report to block water lifting from the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages, despite those structures having withstood flood flows of 2.85 million cusecs in the past. He termed the government’s claim that the barrages could not withstand even one lakh cusecs as misleading and contrary to facts.
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. (ANI)
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