Palla Rajeshwar Reddy attacks Congress over drought preparedness

BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy criticised the Congress government for allegedly failing to prepare a drought contingency plan despite warnings about El Nino. He urged immediate operation of the Kannepalli pump house to protect crops, irrigation and drinking water needs.

Hyderabad: BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy launched a scathing attack on the Congress government over its failure to prepare a contingency plan for the looming drought despite repeated warnings about El Nino. He demanded the immediate lifting of water from the Kannepalli pump house to protect crops and farmers’ livelihoods.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, Rajeshwar Reddy said rain deficit conditions prevailed in 246 mandals across the State, with reservoirs and tanks running dry and groundwater levels declining sharply. He said farmers had missed the critical sowing window, while crops such as cotton, red gram and maize had failed to germinate in several areas.

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The BRS MLA questioned the State government for neither having a contingency plan nor taking steps to address the emerging crisis. He stated that although water could be lifted from the Kannepalli pump house and the Sammakka Sagar system, the government was deliberately avoiding it for political motives.

He also targeted Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, urging him to consult serving and retired engineers instead of relying on what he described as baseless interpretations of the NDSA report. He charged that irrigation adviser Adityanath Das was acting in line with the interests of the Andhra Pradesh government.

Stating that the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme had transformed Telangana’s agricultural output, Rajeshwar Reddy questioned why the government had obstructed the BRS delegation’s visit to the Kannepalli pump house. He urged the government to immediately operationalise the pumps and utilise the available Godavari River waters to safeguard irrigation and drinking water needs across the State.