Uttam Kumar promises completion of Krishna basin projects in three years

Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the Assembly that the Congress government would complete all pending Krishna basin irrigation projects within three years.

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has assured that the Congress government will complete all pending Krishna basin irrigation projects within the next three years. BRS members stayed away from the House in the day protesting against attempts to stifle their voice.

In a PowerPoint presentation on Telangana’s river water rights, Reddy accused the previous BRS regime of committing ‘historical blunders’ that severely compromised the State’s entitlements in Krishna river waters.

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Reddy highlighted two major shifts in flagship projects under the BRS government. The Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation (PRLI) project, originally planned to draw water from upstream of the Jurala project, was relocated to the Srisailam reservoir.

Similarly, the Pranahita-Chevella project was shifted from its initial site at Thummidihatti to Medigadda. These changes, he alleged, led to escalated costs, technical complications and reduced water reliability for drought-prone regions in southern Telangana.

The minister also alleged that the BRS conceded 512 TMC ft of Krishna water to Andhra Pradesh in interim allocations, against Telangana’s share of 299 TMC ft, a ratio that has persisted pending the final award from the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal (KWDT-II).

He alleged that close ties between former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh’s former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy enabled expansions like the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and Pothireddypadu head regulator at Telangana’s expense.