Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao urged the government to activate the Kannepally pump house motors immediately. He warned that if not done, BRS leaders, led by KCR, would visit the site with thousands of farmers to start the motors themselves.
Speaking at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao emphasized the need to provide water to farmers by turning on the Kannepally pump house motors. He criticized the current leadership for failing to appreciate the importance of water. According to Harish Rao, each motor can lift 2,100 cusecs of water, and even if all gates of the Medigadda barrage are open, they can still divert two tmcft of water daily.
Harish Rao stated that the Kannepalli pump house should operate even when the Medigadda barrage gates are open, ensuring water supply. Activating the Kaleshwaram motors could benefit 15 districts. He accused the Chief Minister of making false promises to Palamuru farmers and highlighted that the Kalvakurthi motors have remained inactive even 36 days after floods hit Srisailam on May 30. He criticized Revanth Reddy’s government for using the least amount of water from Krishna since Telangana’s formation and for releasing 65 tmcft to AP CM Chandrababu Naidu. Harish Rao claimed that the government aims to send Krishna water to Andhra and accused them of declaring a crop holiday in Mahabubnagar while releasing water for a third crop in Andhra.
He warned that if the Kalwakurthy project motors in Mahabubnagar district remain inactive, thousands of farmers would take action. Harish Rao pointed out that while Karnataka and Maharashtra are experiencing good rains, Telangana is suffering from drought and below-average rainfall, causing distress among farmers who struggle with planting and seed germination.
Harish Rao accused the government of negligence for ignoring the available water resources. He mentioned the construction of reservoirs like Ranganayaka Sagar, Mallanna Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar, and Baswapur which are equipped with pump houses and sub-stations. He questioned the Revanth Reddy government’s inability to lift water, stating that filling these reservoirs could enable the cultivation of two crops over vast areas.
