‘68% share given to AP’: CM Revanth accuses BRS govt of betraying Telangana in 2015 water allocation
BRS govt put Telangana water rights at risk by ceding 68% of water share to AP in 2015, says CM Revanth Reddy
By Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: CM Revanth Reddy, irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on the water issue between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad: In a long session at the Dr Jyotirao Phule Praja Bhavan, chief minister A Revanth Reddy launched a scathing attack on the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government, accusing them of a ‘decade-long betrayal that compromised the State’s water rights.’
A PowerPoint presentation served as a backdrop for a dramatic unveiling of alleged past missteps, painting a grim picture of Telangana’s current water woes.
Water issues
“The connection between water and civilisation is as profound as the connection between water and the people of Telangana,” CM Revanth declared, setting the tone for his address. He emphasised that despite differing opinions on other matters, water issues united the State. Yet, this very unity, he contended, was undermined by the actions of the former CM KCR and then-irrigation minister Harish Rao.
CM Revanth said, “Call it negligence or arrogance on the part of the BRS. The formation of the River Management Board was specifically to avert water disputes. According to the former chief minister KCR and Harish Rao, on June 18, 2015, a death warrant on water allocations was signed. The agreement to a paltry 299 TMC out of 811 TMC available in the Krishna basin, silently ceding 68 per cent to Andhra Pradesh.”
Failure to complete crucial projects
The chief minister highlighted the failure to complete crucial projects like Kalwakurthy, Palamuru, SLBC, Bheema and Nettempadu under the previous regime. This alleged inaction, he stated, prevented Telangana from utilising its allocated 299 TMC. “Projects initiated during the united State weren’t completed and Telangana couldn’t use that water,” he asserted, adding that even the Central government did not intervene.
Godavari waters
In the Godavari basin, out of 1,486 TMC, Telangana was allocated 968 TMC and Andhra 518 TMC. Revanth Reddy accused KCR of ‘re-engineering’ the Pranahita-Chevella project at Thummidihatti, driven by ‘avarice,’ leading to changed names and inflated estimates. He critically pointed out that a project costing one lakh crore rupees now provides water to only 50,000 acres.
Polavaram-Banakacheral project
The Jal Shakti ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee has returned the Polavaram-Banakacheral Link Project proposal to the Andhra Pradesh government. The concerns raised are:
- Violation of the Godavari Tribunal Award (1980)
- Lack of Central Water Commission consultation
- Interstate water disputes
The committee has advised on fresh clearances and permissions before moving ahead.
Member of Parliament Chamalla Kiran Kumar Reddy said, “This is due to the hard work of the Congress government that the proposal has been returned to Andhra Pradesh.”
‘Foundation for deception laid during BRS rule’
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, in his detailed presentation, said, “The foundation for this deception was laid during the ten-year rule of BRS.”
He further detailed how both chief ministers participated in the 2016 Apex Council meeting. Even more damning, he claimed, were the Government Orders (GOs) favorable to the Banakacheral project issued in March, June and September 2018, to which KCR allegedly remained silent. “Even when funds were sanctioned under GO 98, the then chief minister KCR did not object,” Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasised.
The irony, according to the ministers, lies in BRS leaders now criticising the current government, despite KCR himself having discussions with then Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to divert Godavari waters to the Krishna and Penna rivers. Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that it was the BRS rulers who formed a high-level committee with officials and experts from both states, making their current criticism ‘laughable.’
Surplus flood waters
CM Revanth challenged KCR’s claims of 3,000 TMC of floodwaters, asserting that such pronouncements paved the way for AP CM Chandrababu Naidu to push for projects to utilise these ‘surplus’ waters. “KCR himself created this ‘royal sore’,” Reddy declared.
The chief minister asserted that the calculation of surplus and floodwaters would only be clear after Telangana’s pending Godavari basin projects are completed, requiring discussions between both states. He unequivocally stated, “Uttam Kumar Reddy and I are not concerned with Rayalaseema prawn curry; we are concerned with the rights of the people of Telangana.” He affirmed their readiness to fight for these rights with a just approach.
Addressing the Central government’s role, CM Reddy directly challenged union minister Kishan Reddy, asking why he wasn’t taking responsibility in the matter. The chief minister implied a political motive, suggesting the BJP’s strategy was to ‘revive BRS and gain political advantage’ by escalating the water dispute.
