KTR questions Revanth Reddy’s silence over Karnataka’s plans to raise Almatti height

BRS leader KT Rama Rao criticised CM Revanth Reddy for staying silent on Karnataka’s decision to raise the Almatti dam height, warning it threatens Telangana’s irrigation projects and farmers. He vowed legal and public protests to protect the State’s riparian rights

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao came down heavily on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for his inaction despite the Karnataka Congress government clearing a proposal to raise the height of the Almatti dam from 519 feet to 524 feet. He said the move was nothing short of a death warrant for Telangana’s farmers and warned that the BRS would launch a people’s movement unless the State government took concrete measures to stop Karnataka.

Rama Rao criticised Revanth Reddy for touring Delhi even as the erstwhile Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts were on the verge of turning into deserts. He pointed out that the Telangana government failed to react even three days after the Karnataka Cabinet took the decision.

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He demanded to know whether Congress leaders in Delhi and Hyderabad had the courage to oppose Karnataka’s Cabinet decision. “Will Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy sacrifice Telangana farmers for Karnataka’s interests? A national party cannot have different policies for different States, which would amount to double standards,” he said.

The BRS leader warned that increasing the dam height would cripple the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, of which 90 per cent of the works were completed during former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s tenure. He cautioned that it could even render Revanth Reddy’s Narayanpet-Kodangal project useless.

Comparing the expenditure for increasing the Almatti dam height with that of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, Rama Rao questioned: “If raising the Almatti dam height by five feet alone costs Rs.70,000 crore, including acquisition of 1.3 lakh acres of land, how is it wrong to spend Rs.93,000 crore on Kaleshwaram, which irrigates 40 lakh acres?” He reminded that Kaleshwaram was Telangana’s lifeline and ridiculed the Congress’s allegations of Rs.1 lakh crore corruption.

He noted that the issue was sub judice, with the Supreme Court staying the tribunal’s order in 2013 following a special leave petition filed by the then Andhra Pradesh government. Telangana, under Chandrashekhar Rao, continued the legal fight after bifurcation. “Why is the Congress government silent when Karnataka is defying the stay?” he asked.

Rama Rao contrasted Revanth Reddy’s silence with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ immediate reaction, who promised to move the apex court to protect Sangli and Kolhapur from flooding. “KCR once engaged neighbouring CMs to secure clearances for Kaleshwaram. Revanth Reddy lacks even the sincerity to defend Telangana’s rights,” he said.

Accusing Karnataka of already diverting Godavari waters to Andhra Pradesh and now attempting to steal Krishna waters, Rama Rao vowed to initiate both legal and public battles. “If the government fails, BRS will lead a farmers’ movement against this exploitation. Telangana’s rights cannot be trampled to please the Congress leaders in Karnataka,” he declared.

He asserted that BRS would continue its fight against the Centre and would not allow Telangana’s riparian rights to be sacrificed for Karnataka’s politics.