Harish Rao hits out at Congress govt’s inaction as Andhra breaches Krishna water allocation

BRS leader T Harish Rao has accused Andhra Pradesh of drawing 664 TMCft of Krishna river water, far exceeding its permitted share of 512 TMCft, while Telangana has used only 20 per cent of its allocation.

Hyderabad: BRS senior leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday said Andhra Pradesh was drawing 664 TMCft of Krishna river water, exceeding its permitted 512 TMCft share, while the Congress government in Telangana remained a mute spectator. He demanded immediate steps to safeguard Telangana’s water needs ahead of summer.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Harish Rao cited a letter written by the Engineer-in-Chief of the Telangana Irrigation department to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

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According to the communication, Andhra Pradesh had already utilised nearly 80 per cent of the available Krishna water as of January 29, 2026, against the provisional 66:34 utilisation ratio, under which Andhra Pradesh was allowed 512 TMCft and Telangana 299 TMCft.

“While Andhra Pradesh has already used 664 TMCft, which is nearly 80 per cent of the available water, what are the Chief Minister and the Irrigation Minister doing?” he asked, stating that Andhra Pradesh was drawing water from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects without proper indents or approvals from KRMB.

Harish Rao questioned the State government’s response, stating that it failed to take timely action despite warnings from irrigation officials. He pointed out that the post of Engineer-in-Chief, who is a KRMB member, remained vacant for a week after the official retired upon raising concerns over excess water drawal by Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana had utilised only about 20 per cent of its share, leaving around 174 TMCft unused, while Andhra Pradesh continues to draw nearly 1.5 TMCft daily, he said, warning that the situation could severely impact irrigation and drinking water supply in districts such as Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy, particularly with summer approaching.

Harish Rao also criticised the State government for failing to convene an Apex Council meeting to address the issue and accused it of limiting its response to writing letters without enforcing water-sharing norms. He observed discrepancies in water usage figures, stating that while Telangana officials claimed Andhra Pradesh used 664 TMCft, KRMB records mentioned 555 TMCft.

He accused the KRMB of failing to safeguard Telangana’s interests and blamed both the BJP at the Centre and the Congress government in the State for ignoring the issue.

The BRS demanded immediate measures by the State government to stop excess water drawal by Andhra Pradesh and protect Telangana’s irrigation and industrial requirements. The party warned that it would intensify protests, including besieging the KRMB office and raising the issue with the Centre, if urgent corrective measures were not taken.

Harish Rao said BRS would continue its fight to safeguard Telangana’s water rights and accused both the BJP-led Centre and the Congress government in the State of failing to protect the interests of Telangana farmers.

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