KTR accuses Telangana government of wasting Godavari waters
BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Telangana government of wasting Godavari waters by not operating the Kannepalli pumps. He warned of a looming irrigation and drinking water crisis, questioned the government's approach to Kaleshwaram and sought immediate pumping operations.
Karimnagar: With reservoir levels dwindling and monsoon uncertainty deepening, BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded that the Congress government immediately commence lifting water through the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme in the interest of the State. He warned that if the government failed to act, the BRS would launch a statewide agitation under the directions of party president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
He alleged that, in collusion with the BJP-led Centre, the Congress government in Telangana was deliberately refusing to lift Godavari River waters through the Kaleshwaram project despite tens of TMCft of water flowing wastefully into the sea. He said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was sacrificing the interests of Telangana’s farmers solely to sustain the false narrative he had built against the Kaleshwaram project.
After inspecting the Lower Manair Dam in Karimnagar on Monday, Rama Rao stepped up the party’s offensive against the Congress government for refusing to operate the Kannepalli pumps due to political vendetta against the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme rather than technical constraints. He said nearly one lakh cusecs of water was flowing past Medigadda and around nine TMCft of water was being wasted every day. He said reservoirs across the Godavari River basin were holding less than 20 per cent of their capacity despite the availability of water for lifting.
The BRS working president charged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with criminal negligence for allowing Godavari River waters to flow wastefully into the sea while Telangana inches towards an irrigation and drinking water crisis. He warned that unless pumping began immediately, Telangana would soon face severe drinking water shortages, including in Hyderabad.
Appealing to the government to set aside its ego, he said the issue transcended politics and concerned Telangana’s water security. “Fight the BRS politically if you want, but do not punish farmers. Switch on the pumps and save Telangana’s crops and drinking water,” he said.
The former Minister maintained that retired engineers as well as technical experts had repeatedly advised the government to operate the Kannepalli pumps once water levels crossed 93 metres. “The level is already around 97 metres, yet the pumps remain idle. Water can be lifted independently of the Medigadda barrage through Annaram and Sundilla after the grouting works were completed by the government in 2024,” he said.
He alleged that the government was deliberately avoiding pumping operations because it feared having to procure additional paddy and pay the promised bonus to farmers. He also cautioned that inadequate water availability could affect thermal power generation at NTPC and Jaipur plants.
Referring to delayed monsoon conditions, Rama Rao said the State should have received widespread rains by the second week of July and urged the government to at least operate two motors at Kannepalli immediately. He said lifting two to three TMCft of water daily over the next 100 days could transfer 200 to 300 TMCft into various reservoirs, including the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP), securing irrigation and drinking water needs.
The BRS working president also criticised the government’s handling of technical advice on the Kaleshwaram project. He alleged that retired irrigation engineers were being threatened instead of being heard and said he had personally apologised to retired Engineer-in-Chief Shyamprasad Reddy, who was distressed over the Chief Minister’s remarks to imprison former engineers for suggesting lifting water at the Kannepalli pump house.
He questioned the credibility of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) report on the Kaleshwaram project, alleging that it was prepared hastily without proper field inspections. He stated that while the government continued to describe Kaleshwaram as defunct, its barrages, canals and pumping infrastructure remained functional.
Turning political, Rama Rao accused the Chief Minister of responding to criticism with personal attacks instead of addressing farmers’ concerns. Referring to recent remarks by Revanth Reddy about spilling the blood of BRS leaders, he said the party had organised blood donation camps across the State in protest and BRS activists carrying donated blood packets towards the Chief Minister’s residence were arrested.
