Harish Rao demands 15 more days of Jurala water for crops

T Harish Rao has demanded round-the-clock operation of Kalwakurthy project motors and 15 more days of Jurala water to save standing crops. He accused the Congress government of mismanaging Krishna water and sought drought compensation and farmer assistance.

Wanaparthy: BRS Legislature Party Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao on Monday demanded that the Congress government operate all five motors of the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Project round the clock and release water from the Jurala project for another 15 days to save standing crops. He urged the government to take immediate measures to complete the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and fill the Karivena and Vattem reservoirs.

He demanded compensation for crop losses across 25 lakh acres due to drought conditions, apart from the immediate release of Rythu Bharosa assistance for the ensuing Yasangi season, enhanced employment guarantee workdays for agricultural labourers and workers dependent on farm operations, and payment of the promised Rs 12,000 under the Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa scheme to eligible agricultural labourers.

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Addressing a public meeting with farmers after inspecting withered paddy fields in Alwala village of Peddamandadi mandal in Wanaparthy district, Harish Rao accused the Congress government of triggering an agrarian crisis in Palamuru by failing to utilise available Krishna River water. He said crops had dried up despite substantial inflows into the Srisailam and Jurala projects.

He said around 250 acres had dried up in the village alone. He said farmers were left in distress at a critical harvesting stage despite water being available in the reservoirs.

Blaming the ruling Congress for causing the drought rather than natural conditions, he said the Srisailam project had received 221 TMCft of water and the Jurala project about 252 TMCft. However, he said the government had failed to operate the Kalwakurthy project motors in time and that the project, which could have lifted 50 TMCft, had lifted only 18 TMCft this season.

The former Irrigation Minister said the five motors at Kalwakurthy could lift about 10.2 TMCft a month if operated continuously. The government could have lifted nearly 50 TMCft between June and October but failed to do so, he alleged. He also stated that water utilisation from the Krishna River basin had fallen from 34-41 per cent during the BRS regime to 25 per cent under the Congress government.

Contrasting the situation in Palamuru with the flow of Krishna River water to Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh, Harish Rao asked why water could not be supplied to Wanaparthy, barely 70 km from the river. He accused the government of releasing water downstream instead of using it to protect crops in Telangana.

He also criticised the government for not removing the earth obstruction in Package III of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, saying the work could be completed within a few days or a week to facilitate water supply to the Karivena and Vattem reservoirs.

The BRS Legislature Party deputy leader said the government was now talking of suspending irrigation and power supply for the Yasangi season, even as farmers growing orchards and vegetables would continue to depend on water and electricity. He accused the Chief Minister of focusing on the proposed sale of 500 acres of government land at Miyapur instead of announcing relief for drought-hit farmers.

Questioning the Centre’s response, Harish Rao said central teams had visited Andhra Pradesh to assess flood damage but had not come to Telangana despite the drought. He urged the Centre to send a team and extend assistance to affected farmers. Assuring farmers that the BRS would raise their concerns in the Assembly, he appealed to them not to lose heart or take extreme steps over crop losses.

Former Ministers S Niranjan Reddy, V Srinivas Goud and C Laxma Reddy, MLC Naveen Kumar Reddy, former MLAs and other BRS leaders participated in the meeting.