Hyderabad, Jan 30 (TNT): In a sharply political offensive, Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday tore into the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing it of deliberately misleading the public to cover up what he called a “decade-long betrayal” of Telangana’s water interests.
Addressing a virtual press conference from Huzurnagar, Uttam dismissed BRS allegations that the Congress government had compromised the state’s water rights in Krishna and Godavari river negotiations, calling them a desperate political diversion.
He alleged that the previous BRS government, led by former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), had surrendered Telangana’s rightful share of river waters and was now attempting to rewrite history from the opposition benches.
The Minister charged that under the BRS regime, Telangana accepted an unjust 299 TMC ft share in the Krishna basin through a 66:34 division of 811 TMC ft post-bifurcation.
He claimed this decision was finalised in Union Jal Shakti Ministry meetings with the active involvement of then irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, branding it as a political compromise that came at the cost of farmers’ interests.
He further alleged that the BRS government wasted nearly Rs 1.8 lakh crore on high-profile irrigation projects, including Palamuru–Rangareddy and Sitarama, without creating meaningful new ayacut.
On the Godavari side, he blamed the BRS entirely for the collapse of the Medigadda barrage under the Kaleshwaram project, citing findings of national agencies to argue that the scheme symbolised “engineering failure mixed with political arrogance.”
Drawing a clear political contrast, Uttam said the Congress government, in power since December 7, 2023, has taken an uncompromising stand on river water rights and will “not yield even a single drop” of Telangana’s share.
He asserted that the present administration is demanding nearly 70 per cent of Krishna waters based on Telangana’s catchment area and is aggressively pursuing the case before tribunals, courts and river management boards.
On Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Polavaram–Nallamala Sagar diversion, the Minister reiterated Telangana’s firm opposition, accusing the BRS of earlier tacitly encouraging such proposals.
He said the Congress government’s assertive stance had already resulted in repeated denials of statutory clearances at the central level.
Positioning water as the new frontline of political battle in Telangana, Uttam claimed that in just two years, the Congress government has utilised more Krishna and Godavari water than the BRS did in an entire decade, helping Telangana emerge as the country’s leading rice-producing state.
He concluded by asserting that while the BRS “traded away Telangana’s water for political convenience,” the Congress would fight—politically and legally—to reclaim every rightful share.
TNT TS
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