BRS on Thursday accused the Congress government of being “a silent and helpless spectator in the face of loot of water from River Krishna by Andhra Pradesh,” and demanded that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy stop AP from “stealing” Krishna water that belongs to Telangana.
Hyderabad: The BRS on Thursday accused the Congress government of being “a silent and helpless spectator in the face of loot of water from River Krishna by Andhra Pradesh,” and demanded that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy stop AP from “stealing” Krishna water that belongs to Telangana.
Former irrigation minister and senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao, making the demand, also asked if the Congress government’s inaction on AP’ excess drawals had anything to do with Revanth Reddy “paying his dues” to his former leader, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Harish Rao also dragged the BJP into the mix, asking why Union ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, despite being in the Centre, were not taking steps to protect Telangana’s water interests.
“AP is drawing 10,000 cusecs of water from Nagarjunasagar right canal every day. This has been going on for the past three months. While AP is allowed to use only 512 tmc ft of Krishna water, it has already taken 657 tmc ft. Why is the Telangana government silent? Were Revanth Reddy and Congress elected to mortgage the state’s interests to AP,” Harish Rao asked.
Addressing a press meet at Telangana Bhavan, the BRS headquarters, Harish Rao said the government’s neglect was set to cost the state dearly with irrigation and drinking water shortages. “Things have come to such a pass that only around 100 tmc ft of water is available above the minimum draw down levels at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar,” he claimed.
He said Telangana was yet to use 123 tmc ft from Krishna this year. “If the Congress government does not stop AP from stealing our water, even that 100 tmc ft that is left that can help us a little will be lost,” Harish Rao said.
He said, “instead of meetings and requests, Uttam Kumar Reddy should have sat on a dharna at jal shakti ministry, or the Union jal shakti minister’s office. If the Congress government does not know how to make its demand heard, then BRS will join it for a protest, let the CM take an all-party delegation to the Centre.”
Harish Rao said Telangana must immediately stop AP’s excess drawals. “If our water is not protected Rabi crops will dry in Telangana, there will be drinking water shortages. But since the Congress government is asleep on this, AP is doing as it pleases, he said.
