KTR announces Padayatra for Nagarjuna Sagar water, sets 10-day deadline to Congress govt

BRS working president KT Rama Rao set September 14 as the deadline for the Congress government to announce a water-release schedule for the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal. He warned of a Kodad-Haliya padayatra with thousands of farmers if the government failed.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has set September 14 as the deadline for the Congress government to announce a clear schedule for releasing water from the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal. He announced that if the government failed to respond, he would lead a padayatra from Kodad to Haliya with thousands of farmers.

Addressing a farmers’ protest in Miryalaguda on Thursday, Rama Rao demanded that the government specify when and how much water would be released through the Left Canal. He said the proposed padayatra would be held drawing inspiration from a similar march undertaken by BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao from Kodad to Haliya in 2003 during the Telangana movement to press for farmers’ demands.

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The BRS working president pointed out that the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir had around 180 TMCft of water, but the Congress government was deliberately refusing to release even a drop through the Left Canal. He said the government should announce the water-release schedule by September 14, ahead of Vinayaka Chavithi, failing which the BRS would launch the proposed march.

He also questioned the government’s handling of water availability in the Krishna River basin. He said there was around 537 feet of water in Srisailam and water had reached Nagarjuna Sagar through hydel power generation. He argued that sufficient water was available to provide irrigation for two crops.

Rama Rao accused the Congress government of failing farmers despite making several promises during the elections. He questioned the fate of the Congress’s Farmers’ Declaration comprising a Rs 2 lakh loan waiver, Rs 15,000 per acre under Rythu Bharosa for farmers and tenant farmers, Rs 12,000 annual assistance for poor agricultural labourers and a Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy and cotton.

“The Congress government had utterly failed to fulfil its commitments and had withheld Rythu Bandhu payments for three seasons. The government was not even able to ensure adequate urea supplies and provide Rs 500 bonus to farmers,” he remarked.

The BRS working president targeted Ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy over the Nagarjuna Sagar issue, alleging that they were ignoring the availability of water despite being responsible for irrigation. He also found fault with the Revanth Reddy government’s water-sharing decisions, stating that water was being released towards Andhra Pradesh, while farmers dependent on the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal were being denied the same.

“Is Revanth Reddy paying his Gurudakshina to his mentor N Chandrababu Naidu by ensuring uninterrupted water supply to Andhra Pradesh, at the cost of Telangana farmers?” he asked.

Rama Rao said the BRS would continue its agitation until water was released to farmers. He said the party would raise the issue during the Assembly session beginning September 7 and seek answers from the government. “If there is no clarity by Vinayaka Chavithi, we will undertake the Kodad-Haliya padayatra with thousands of farmers,” he reiterated, asserting that the BRS would continue its fight until the government was forced to address the irrigation crisis.