Questions raised over removal of reservoir data from public domain ahead of Telangana Assembly debate on irrigation

The Congress government has restricted public access to Srisailam and Jurala reservoir data ahead of an Assembly debate on the Palamuru–Rangareddy project, drawing criticism over transparency and allegations of avoiding scrutiny on irrigation and water management.

Hyderabad: The Congress government’s decision to restrict access to water usage data of the Srisailam and Jurala reservoirs from the official Irrigation Decision Support System website has triggered sharp criticism. The move comes just ahead of the upcoming discussion on the Palamuru-Rangareddy project in the Legislative Assembly, raising concerns over the government’s transparency and accountability.

Sources said the reservoir data, including current storage, inflows, outflows and other information was made available in the public domain till October 2025. However, attempts to access the latest data turned futile on Friday, after the government reportedly restricted access, despite updating the website on Friday. Questions are being raised why publicly accessible data was withdrawn at a moment when the State Assembly is set to debate on irrigation performance and water management of the current Congress government.

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Water usage figures of major reservoirs form the basis for informed debate, policy evaluation, and public oversight. Withholding such information during an Assembly session has led to allegations that the government is attempting to avoid uncomfortable questions from the opposition benches over its claims on irrigation and water utilisation.

While the government is yet to issue an official explanation, there is an increasing demand for immediate restoration of the irrigation statistics to the public domain, particularly when large-scale projects like Palamuru–Rangareddy are being discussed on the floor of the House.