Congress-created irrigation crisis in Telangana, says Harish

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Former minister and BRS deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao on Tuesday accused the Congress government of creating an "artificial drought" by failing to utilise available Godavari waters for irrigation despite adequate storage.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, he alleged that the government had ignored the BRS demand to immediately operate the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme. Although Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy had announced on July 13 that 38 TMC of water would be lifted to fill 22 reservoirs under the project, the promise had not been fulfilled, he claimed.

Harish Rao said farmers in Shayampet, Bhimadevarapally, Elkathurthy and other parts of the erstwhile Warangal district were protesting over the lack of irrigation water. He alleged that despite sufficient storage at the Sammakka Barrage, only five of the ten Devadula pumps were operational.

Claiming that 105 TMC of Godavari water had flowed downstream while only 1.9 TMC had been lifted, he said the government had failed to utilise the project's full capacity. He also alleged that delays in operating the pumps last year caused heavy crop losses.

Harish Rao further criticised the government for targeting the Kaleshwaram project while failing to make progress on its proposed Tummidihetti irrigation project, urging it to focus on supplying water to farmers instead.