BRS targets Congress over Hyderabad’s rising water tanker use

BRS MLA D Sudheer Reddy accused the Congress government of failing to address Hyderabad's drinking water crisis, citing a rise in tanker usage. He also criticised delays in Kaleshwaram repairs, while former MLA Chirumarthi Lingaiah alleged irrigation mismanagement.

Hyderabad: The sharp rise in water tanker usage in Hyderabad indicated the Congress government‘s failure to address the drinking water crisis, BRS MLA D Sudheer Reddy said. He stated that while around 80,000 tankers were used in October last year, the number rose to 2.2 lakh this year, exposing the government’s failure to ensure adequate water supply.

Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Friday, Sudheer Reddy said the government itself had admitted to supplying 2.2 lakh tankers, indicating the scale of the crisis. He said nearly 750 TMCft of water was allowed to flow downstream in an attempt to discredit former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

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He accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of delaying repairs to the Kaleshwaram project for nearly three years out of political vendetta against Chandrashekhar Rao, and turning to the project only after drought conditions worsened. He stated that the government was resorting to diversionary politics through the Tummidihatti project proposal.

Sudheer Reddy said the Central Water and Power Research Station had found the Annaram and Sundilla barrages to be in good condition, while the government kept farmers waiting, citing the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) recommendations. He also questioned the delay in repairing the Sunkishala retaining wall and referred to the deaths of eight persons in the SLBC tunnel accident.

He said the BRS was ready for a discussion on Kaleshwaram in the Assembly, provided its members were allowed to speak.

Former MLA Chirumarthi Lingaiah accused the government of failing to utilise irrigation water, resulting in crop losses across 20,000 acres in Nalgonda district alone. He blamed Ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy for the failure in water management. He pointed to drinking water shortages in the Chief Minister’s Kodangal constituency and pending payments under the Indiramma housing scheme.