BRS steps up stir against diversion of Tungabhadra River waters

The BRS has stepped up its campaign against the alleged diversion of Tungabhadra River waters by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, with senior leaders inspecting the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme in Karnataka. The party warned of launching a massive agitation to protect Telangana’s water rights, accusing the Congress government of indifference and granting clearances to upstream projects that threaten irrigation in Mahabubnagar district.

Hyderabad: The BRS intensified its campaign against the alleged diversion of Tungabhadra River waters by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, with a senior party delegation inspecting the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) in Karnataka on Wednesday. They warned of launching massive agitation to protect Telangana’s water rights and demanded that a team of State Ministers visit the site and initiate measures to safeguard Telangana’s water rights.

The delegation, comprising former Ministers C Laxma Reddy and V Srinivas Goud, BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar, MLC Naveen Kumar Reddy, former MLAs and other leaders, visited the RDS anicut to assess the impact of what the party described as “illegal” upstream projects.

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The BRS leaders alleged that Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were constructing reservoirs and bridge-cum-barrages with a combined storage capacity of about 65 TMCft on Tungabhadra River, threatening irrigation in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. They demanded an immediate halt to the projects, which would deprive Telangana of its legitimate share of river waters and leave the RDS ayacut parched.

Speaking to mediapersons, Srinivas Goud said the party would formulate an action plan after the inspection and warned that the agitation would be extended to oppose similar projects on Krishna and Bhima Rivers. He recalled that former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had addressed the long-pending concerns of RDS farmers by completing the Tumilla Lift Irrigation Scheme.

The BRS leaders alleged that the Congress government had remained indifferent to the issue and compromised on Telangana’s interests. They stated that the Congress government issued No Objection Certificates for the projects in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, while the proposed Kodangal Lift Irrigation Scheme remained pending, questioning the government’s priorities.