BRS castigates State govt over wasted Krishna River waters

Former minister Niranjana Reddy said the State government is allowing valuable Krishna river water to flow into the Bay of Bengal while farmers in the Palamuru region desperately await water for their fields.

Hyderabad: The BRS castigated the State government, accusing it of troubling farmers with political malice and failing to provide irrigation water from Krishna River which is being wasted by allowing the flows into Bay of Bengal, only to discredit the previous BRS regime. Former Minister S Niranjan Reddy and senior leader RS Praveen Kumar demanded that the State government should initiate immediate measures to make optimum use of Krishna River water.

Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Friday, Niranjana Reddy said the State government is allowing valuable Krishna river water to flow into the Bay of Bengal while farmers in the Palamuru region desperately await water for their fields. He pointed out that, on average, 30 TMC of Krishna River waters are being lost to the sea every day, and urged the government to set aside political differences to make optimum use of the water.

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The former Irrigation Minister stated that the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) is ready for operations, with the potential to lift up to 27 TMC of water from Narlapur to Vattem via Yedula. However, he accused the current administration, of failing to utilise the crucial project. He said while former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had earlier expedited pending projects like Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, but the Congress government’s inaction has stalled progress.

Niranjana Reddy also condemned the Congress government for canceling tenders that would have allowed canals to carry water from Karivena. He argued that using Kalwakurthi pumps to fill seven TMC of water in Narlapur could easily resolve the drinking water shortage in the region. He further criticised the Irrigation Minister and local leaders for failing to visit the project site even once to oversee the work, accusing them of neglecting the farmers.

RS Praveen Kumar lashed out at the State government over lack of progress on the Palamuru project over the past eight months, questioning whether the government truly cares about the people of South Telangana. He stated that the Chief Minister, despite hailing from Palamuru, is busy enjoying the beauty of the Mississippi in the US, than addressing the needs of local farmers in Telangana.

He urged the State government to put aside political malice and take immediate action to utilise the available water, ensuring that farmers in Palamuru are not left struggling for resources, despite availability.