Metro India News | Hyderabad

Former Minister and BRS Legislature Party Deputy Leader T. Harish Rao has issued a stark warning, cautioning that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi would not remain silent if Telangana's river water allocations were imperiled. He declared the party stands ready to launch renewed protests to fiercely defend the state's irrigation future and the welfare of its farmers and people.

Speaking at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao accused the Congress government under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of systematically compromising Telangana's interests in ongoing river water disputes with Andhra Pradesh. He demanded an immediate boycott of the river water disputes meeting between officials of the two states, currently underway in New Delhi under the Central government's convening.

Harish Rao alleged the meeting—organized by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry—was being held under pressure from Andhra Pradesh and served as a veiled mechanism to advance the contentious Nallamala Sagar (formerly linked to Polavaram-Banakacherla) project. He warned that Telangana's participation without iron clad safeguards risked forfeiting a major portion of its Godavari water share, potentially diverting vital resources to benefit Andhra Pradesh's irrigation ambitions.

The BRS leader slammed the state government for dispatching officials without securing written assurances from Andhra Pradesh, including an immediate halt to processing and approving the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Nallamala Sagar. He highlighted a perceived pattern of collaboration between the Revanth Reddy administration and Andhra Pradesh on sensitive issues like Polavaram and Nallamala Sagar, citing weak legal responses—such as a promptly withdrawn Supreme Court writ petition—as evidence of inadequate defense of Telangana's rights.

Harish Rao also questioned the impartiality of Telangana's representatives, pointing out that Government Advisor Adityanath Das had previously served in the Andhra Pradesh government and actively opposed Telangana's irrigation projects.

Labeling the current approach a "historic betrayal," Harish Rao insisted that Telangana's water security must override political expediency. He urged the government to withdraw from the Delhi meeting unless firm protections for the state's entitlements are guaranteed in writing.