Jeevan Reddy urges Congress to resume Kannepalli pumping

BRS general secretary T Jeevan Reddy urged the Congress government to resume pumping at the Kannepalli pump house amid drought conditions. He suggested a cofferdam, criticised restrictions on paddy seed purchases and questioned progress on the Tummidihatti project.

Hyderabad: BRS general secretary and former Minister T Jeevan Reddy on Tuesday urged the Congress government to resume water pumping from the Kannepalli pump house to meet irrigation and drinking water needs amid the prevailing drought and El Niño conditions. He asked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to step down and hand over responsibility to the Governor if he could not govern effectively.

He suggested constructing a cofferdam if water levels were insufficient for pumping. Citing the proposed use of sandbags to impound water at the Sitarama project, he said a similar arrangement could be made at Kannepalli within a month.

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Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Jeevan Reddy said that even if one TMCft of water was lifted daily, 150 TMCft could be pumped in five months. He urged Revanth Reddy to stop delaying action and utilise the available Pranahita waters.

Jeevan Reddy criticised the government for asking farmers to submit self-declarations while purchasing paddy seeds, effectively discouraging cultivation. Farmers refraining from cultivation would affect the entire economy, he said, pointing to rising rice prices.

He said the Kaleshwaram project, built under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership, could provide crucial support during the drought by meeting irrigation and drinking water needs and supporting power generation.

Questioning Revanth Reddy’s recent visit to Maharashtra for discussions on the Tummidihatti project, he alleged that it had yielded no tangible progress despite nearly 30 months in office. He also criticised the government for failing to carry out repairs to existing infrastructure.