Uttam hits back at Harish Rao

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Telangana Irrigation Minister  N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on BRS leader T. Harish Rao, accusing him of indulging in "false propaganda and fabricated stories" to mislead the people on irrigation issues. He asserted that the Congress government remained fully committed to safeguarding Telangana's water rights and would defend every State project before the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB). 

Responding to Harish Rao's criticism over the agenda of the proposed GRMB meeting on August 18, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the issues listed by Andhra Pradesh were neither new nor unexpected. The Minister said the Congress government had successfully countered Andhra Pradesh's objections with strong legal and technical submissions. He cited the successful Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) clearance secured on April 24, 2025, for the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project as evidence that the State was effectively protecting Telangana's interests despite repeated objections from Andhra Pradesh. 

He said that though Andhra Pradesh had opposed approvals for seven major Telangana projects, the Telangana government had successfully defended its projects before the competent authorities. Uttam Kumar Reddy questioned whether the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, Pattiseema Lift Scheme and the Polavaram-Banakacherla project had not progressed during the BRS regime. 

On the issue of Chhattisgarh's consent for Sammakka Sagar, Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the Telangana government had approached the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister three times seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC), and was informed that the clearance was expected by the end of this month. He said the government had also initiated legal proceedings before the Supreme Court by filing an original suit and interlocutory applications. 

The Minister mentioned that the government had also taken proactive steps to secure Telangana's rightful share of Krishna waters, strengthen its case before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, and convince Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to cooperate on the modernization of the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS). Reiterating the government's commitment, Uttam Kumar Reddy made it clear that the Congress government would continue to defend Telangana's rights over its river waters and would not compromise on the interests of the State's farmers under any circumstances.