KTR slams Congress government for Jurala gate failure, cites negligence in maintenance

BRS leader KT Rama Rao blamed the Congress government for the failure of Gate No. 9 at the Jurala project, citing negligence in maintenance. He warned of further risks and criticised the administration for repeated infrastructure failures under its rule

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday held the Congress government responsible for the failure of Gate No. 9 at the Priyadarshini Jurala Project, stating that the incident was a direct consequence of the government’s negligence in undertaking timely maintenance works.

Operational issues were reported at the Jurala project on Thursday when crest gate No. 9 failed to open after one of its two rope cables snapped, even as inflows into the reservoir rose steadily to 53,000 cusecs. The project has 62 crest gates in total.

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Taking to X, Rama Rao lashed out at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, saying he had not laid “a single brick” in building irrigation projects, yet had failed to ensure basic maintenance at crucial infrastructure points like the Jurala spillway, despite annual flood threats. He also expressed concern over the condition of other gates at the project.

“The government must immediately alert people in downstream areas and take urgent preventive measures as flood levels continue to rise. All efforts must be made to protect the Jurala project and ensure the safety of downstream habitations,” he said.

Rama Rao further criticised the Congress government for a series of infrastructure failures, listing incidents such as the collapse of the SLBC tunnel that killed eight people, flooding of 16 villages following the Peddavagu breach, the submergence of the Vattem pump house, and the collapse of the Sunkishala retaining wall.

Each of these incidents stemmed from negligence and administrative failure, resulting in substantial public loss, he said.