Congress enforced drought on Telangana by refusing to lift Godavari water: Harish

Former minister T Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government had created drought-like conditions by refusing to lift Godavari water through the Kannepalli pump house. He accused the government of neglecting farmers and demanded immediate operation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme

Siddipet: Former Minister T Harish Rao said the prevailing drought-like conditions in the State were the result of the Congress government’s refusal to lift irrigation water from the Kannepalli pump house.

Addressing farmers of Chinna Kodur mandal and BRS workers, who undertook a 15-km padayatra from Annapurna Sagar to Ranganayaka Sagar, at the Ranganayaka Sagar project on Sunday, Harish Rao alleged that the government had allowed 75 TMC ft of water to flow downstream of the Kannepalli pump house, which was being tapped by the Andhra Pradesh government.

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Citing Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s comments that he could use the blood of BRS leaders to cultivate crops after they questioned the government’s failure to lift Godavari water, Rao said he was ready to give his blood if Revanth was willing to operate the Kaleshwaram pump houses.

Stating that Revanth was trying to prove that former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s brainchild, the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), was of no use by refusing to lift Godavari water, the former minister alleged that the Congress government had ignored the struggles of farmers.

He recalled how Chandrashekhar Rao brought lakhs of acres under irrigation by constructing the Ananthagiri Reservoir, Ranganayaka Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar and Mallanna Sagar. However, he accused Revanth of denying irrigation water to lakhs of farmers by refusing to lift water. Rao alleged that Revanth and the Congress were spreading false propaganda against the Kaleshwaram project for political gain.

He said that unless the government lifted water, there would be no water for the NTPC thermal power plant and Hyderabad would not receive drinking water unless Mallanna Sagar was filled. Due to the lack of irrigation water, the former minister said farmers were drilling borewells by spending thousands of rupees and desilting open wells.

Rao alleged that the Congress had failed to provide Rythu Bharosa, Rythu Bheema, urea, loan waiver, 24-hour power supply and irrigation water after coming to power. He called upon the people to bring Chandrashekhar Rao back to power to resolve all these issues. Thousands of farmers and BRS workers participated in the rally.