Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao has urged the central government to remove CRPF personnel from the Nagarjuna Sagar project. He also asked the Telangana government to take control of the project, as Andhra Pradesh has been taking 10,000 cusecs of water daily.
Speaking at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao accused both the Congress and BJP of neglecting Telangana’s interests. He claimed that while Telangana’s irrigation and drinking water needs were being ignored, the Congress government remained careless. He warned that if a party unfamiliar with Telangana’s concerns comes to power, it could harm the state.
Harish Rao alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government was diverting 10,000 cusecs of water daily from the Nagarjuna Sagar right canal, while the Telangana government remained passive. He criticized the Chief Minister and the Irrigation Minister for their silence on the issue.
He further explained that Andhra Pradesh’s temporary share of Krishna waters was 512 TMCFT, but it had already used 657 TMCFT. In the last 25 days alone, 60 TMCFT had been transferred, averaging 2 TMCFT per day.
Harish Rao blamed the Congress for failing to protect Telangana’s water resources. He recalled that the Telangana Assembly had passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of CRPF forces and the takeover of Nagarjuna Sagar. Another resolution was passed on November 30, 2023, to maintain its previous status. He urged Congress leaders to protest in front of the Jal Shakti Minister’s office.
He also questioned Union Minister G Kishan Reddy about his inaction on the issue. Harish Rao asked if the minister was aware of Andhra Pradesh’s alleged water theft and pointed out that the Krishna River Management Board falls under his jurisdiction. He highlighted that even Secunderabad residents were facing drinking water shortages and demanded the immediate removal of CRPF personnel from the project.
