Let us debate on Krishna, Godavari water utilization; ready to hold mock assembly: CM Revanth to KCR

Hyderabad : Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy invited former Chief Minister and BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao for a debate on Krishna and Godavari water utilization in the Legislative Assembly.

Druing a PowerPoint presentation on Krishna water and change from Dr B R Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi (PCSS) project to Medigadda by the previous BRS government and its catastrophic consequences to the state irrigation sector in the Praja Bhavan said the chief minister Revanth Reddy.

Debate in the state Assembly

The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said that the government is ready to seek suggestions from KCR considering the former CM’s experience during the debate in the assembly for the benefit of the state.

“We are also ready to seek the experts' and stakeholders' opinions”, the CM said, urging KCR to write a letter to the Speaker to convene the Legislative Assembly sessions as the government is ready.

“Let's discuss the decisions taken during the BRS regime and our tenure. As the leader of the House, I promise, without any confusion, it is my responsibility to ensure that no one's dignity is violated in the House during the debate”, CM Revanth Reddy said.

“If KCR is not ready for debate in the assembly due to health reasons, he, along with his cabinet colleagues, are ready to visit Erravalli farmhouse and hold a mock assembly. The government’s main intention is to explain the facts to the people and is ready to fight for the rights of Telangana on water issues.”

KCR is responsible for water sharing issues

The Chief Minister held KCR responsible for losing the rights on water due to faulty decisions taken during the BRS rule. “The situation would have been different if the previous government had insisted on water utilization between the two states only after providing drinking water to Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh would not have had a chance to divert Krishna water if the BRS government utilised Jurala water for the Palamuru project and lift to Rangareddy district. If Krishna water had been preserved for Telangana's needs at its entry point, there would have been no chance to divert water to Rayalaseema. Telangana also suffered losses in hydel power generation due to the diversion of Krishna water to AP, the CM explained.

Further, CM Revanth Reddy said that it was KCR who reduced allocations to one TMC to Palamuru Rangareddy instead of 2 TMC. “ We have put before you the mistakes made by the KCR family regarding water and funds”, the CM said that KCR and family were frustrated after losing power and deposits also in the elections, and making weird arguments.

“ KCR betrayed Telangana a thousand times more than the injustice done by the rulers in the erstwhile AP in the river Krishna water utilization. The BRS leader should be awarded a punishment, the CM said, pointing out that the BRS government has increased the estimates of the project and reduced water allocations.

Details by Uttam Kumar Reddy

The first presentation highlighted how the BRS regime, during its 10-year rule from 2014 to 2023, failed to protect Telangana’s entitlement to Krishna waters and even facilitated illegal infrastructure development by Andhra Pradesh to divert water from the Srisailam reservoir. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Andhra Pradesh's diversion of Krishna water to outside-basin areas surged from 245.3 TMC between 2004–05 and 2014 to 1,192.44 TMC between 2014–15 and 2023–24, due to the expansion of the Muchumarri Lift Irrigation Scheme and the creation of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS). These projects enhanced AP’s drawal capacity from the Srisailam reservoir to 11 TMC per day. He pointed out that these works were undertaken without Central Water Commission (CWC) clearance or Apex Council approval, in clear violation of the AP Reorganisation Act. Despite being fully aware, the BRS government failed to raise objections with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) or the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, thus compromising Telangana’s rightful share.

He said the previous Telangana government accepted unjust water-sharing ratios, first agreeing to a 299:512 TMC formula in 2015 and later to a 34:66 ratio in 2017–18, which continued until 2020. He alleged that the BRS government even wrote to KRMB stating that the 34:66 formula should continue “since no other basis exists.” The Congress government, Uttam said, has now officially rejected that stance. He referred to a letter written by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to the Union Jal Shakti Minister on March 3, 2025, demanding a reversal of the unfair ratio and reinforcing Telangana’s demand for a 71% share—575 TMC out of the 811 TMC originally allotted to undivided Andhra Pradesh, based on basin parameters like catchment area, population, drought-prone area, and cultivable land. Final arguments under Section 3 of the ISRWD Act, 1956, are underway before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II), and the Congress government has decided to back its claims with strong technical and legal evidence.

Godavari waters

The CM said that the Pranahita project was taken up on the Godavari in 2007-2008. The BRS government removed Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts' ayacut and 24,25,26 packages also from the project. A total of 4 lakh acres of ayacut was removed. He questioned KCR the reason for removing the ayacut without diverting Godavari waters intended for the Krishna basin to Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts and demanded that the BRS leader answer.

The Chief Minister also asked KCR to explain why not a single project was completed during the ten-year BRS rule. KCR, who always said Telangana meted out injustice in united Andhra, should also come out and explain the reasons for not completing the projects. We are fighting for Telangana rights in Krishna and Godavari waters, and the BRS indulged in mudslinging. How can KCR say that the basins are not a problem?

The CM charged KCR with mortgaging Telangana's rights to Andhra Pradesh and now took to the streets to cover up their mistakes. During the Congress regime, irrigation facilities were provided to Rs 54 lakh acres at the cost of Rs 93,000 per acre. Whereas, the KCR rule provided irrigation to 15 lakh acres only by spending a staggering Rs 11 lakhs per acre.

Kaleshwaram Medigadda bridge collapse

On October 21, 2023, Pier No. 20 of the Medigadda barrage collapsed, triggering structural failures in adjacent piers. Post-collapse inspection by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) revealed distress in all three barrages - Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla.

The NDSA cited several reasons:

Inadequate geotechnical investigation, with only 6 boreholes drilled instead of the required 85

Major design changes and mid-project site shifts without fresh studies

Disregard of warnings issued by TSERL model studies

Use of rigid structures instead of floating ones

No safety inspections under the Dam Safety Act, 2021

Complete neglect of operation and maintenance protocols despite visible damage since 2019.

According to NDSA, of the 155 TMC of water lifted, 63 TMC was released back into the river unused, only 92 TMC was technically available, and just 27 TMC reached reservoirs. The project irrigated only 98,570 acres—nowhere close to the BRS government’s claim of 37 lakh acres. Over 50% of the ayacut claimed under Kaleshwaram was actually from older projects like Sriram Sagar, Nizam Sagar, Singur, and IFFC, suggesting deliberate manipulation of impact figures.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said, “Instead of strengthening a ready-to-go project with central support, the BRS government created a white elephant. Telangana is now paying the price for that disastrous decision. But this government is committed to rebuilding what they destroyed.” He also condemned BRS leaders for running what he called a “Goebbels-style propaganda campaign” against the Congress government, despite being directly responsible for Telangana’s irrigation and financial crisis.

“This is not just a technical or legal matter,” he said. “It is a fight for justice - for Telangana’s farmers, its economy, and its future.”