KWDT-II order is Telangana’s victory that owed to efforts made during BRS regime: Harish Rao

He emphasized that this was major victory for the BRS regime which has consistently advocated for water allocation based on states rather than projects

Hyderabad: BRS leader and former minister, T Harish Rao on Friday welcomed the interim orders issued by the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal, which agreed to hear arguments under Section 3 of the 1956 Inter-state River Water Disputes Act in respect to Krishna water allocations.

He emphasized that this was major victory for the BRS regime which has consistently advocated for water allocation based on states rather than projects.

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He criticized the Congress party for attempting to claim credit for this achievement, pointing out that it was the Congress-led central government that enacted Section 89 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, which initially caused injustice to Telangana in the allocation of Krishna waters. He highlighted that it took the BRS ten years to rectify this mistake and secure a fair share of Krishna waters for Telangana.

The former minister recalled that the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had fought tirelessly for Telangana’s rights, even appearing before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal to present arguments on behalf of the State.

This persistent effort led to the recent interim orders, which Rao described as a partial victory. He expressed hope that the final allocation of Krishna waters would bring justice to Telangana.

Rao also mentioned that the Telangana government had written to the tribunal on July 14, 2014, requesting the formation of a tribunal under Section 3 of the 1956 Act for the distribution of Krishna waters. However, the central government had initially directed the tribunal to conduct hearings under Section 89 of the Reorganization Act.

Dissatisfied with this decision, KCR continued to demand a tribunal under the 1956 Act, eventually leading to the current interim orders.

On behalf of the BRS party, he urged the state government to select experienced lawyers to present strong arguments before the tribunal during the hearings. Rao emphasized that achieving a fair share of Krishna waters for Telangana would be the ultimate victory.

On the ongoing fight for water allocation, Rao criticized the Revanth government for its negligence towards the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project, which has become a curse for farmers. He called for proper management of projects and adequate water supply during the Yasangi season to prevent crop failures.