Hyderabad: Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday accused the previous BRS government of betraying the state’s interests on Krishna river rights, enabling Andhra Pradesh to illegally divert water through unauthorised lift schemes while neglecting Telangana’s irrigation needs and compromising legal claims.
Making a detailed presentation at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Praja Bhavan, Uttam said the Congress government would fight to restore Telangana’s rightful share using legal, technical, and administrative channels. He said between 2014 and 2024, AP’s illegal drawal from the Krishna rose from 245 TMC to 1,192 TMC via expanded Muchumarri and RLIS projects—enabled by the BRS government’s silence and inaction.
Uttam accused the KCR-led regime of formally agreeing to unfair water-sharing ratios (299:512 and later 34:66) with AP, weakening Telangana’s legal position. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, he said, has since rejected that formula and demanded a 71% share, backed by basin data and pending adjudication before KWDT-II.
He also outlined the collapse of the Medigadda barrage, citing the NDSA’s finding that only 27 of 155 TMC lifted water actually reached usable reservoirs. Uttam blamed the structural failure on rushed planning, ignored warnings, poor design, and lack of dam safety oversight. He accused BRS of inflating irrigation impact figures and diverting funds from an already approved Pranahita-Chevella project to the flawed Kaleshwaram scheme, turning it into a ₹1.27 lakh crore disaster.
Uttam said the Congress will now rehabilitate Kaleshwaram per NDSA norms, abandon unsafe structures, install telemetry systems, and enforce real-time water monitoring. The government has submitted specific project claims to the Tribunal, including 90 TMC for PRLIS and 50 TMC for Kalwakurthy.
Calling the BRS regime’s actions “politically motivated sabotage,” Uttam said the Congress government will rebuild Telangana’s irrigation future with credible plans, engineering discipline, and fiscal transparency.
