BLURB
KTR accused the Telangana government of water mismanagement, demanding irrigation water release and additional supplies to protect farmers’ crops.
HYDERABAD
Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao on Monday demanded that the Telangana government announce a clear schedule for releasing irrigation water from the Jurala project, alleging that farmers were facing distress despite water availability.
Rao accused the Congress government of mishandling water resources and claimed that Telangana received 250 TMC of Krishna water this year but used only 28 TMC. He alleged that more than 100 TMC flowed downstream to Andhra Pradesh, while farmers in the Jurala command area struggled to protect their crops.
Rao also said water was available upstream at Almatti and Narayanpur in Karnataka and urged Telangana to seek additional supplies. He claimed that around 150 TMC was stored there and said securing 5 to 10 TMC could help protect farmers’ October crops. He also demanded efforts to obtain water from Karnataka.
The BRS leader further alleged that several party leaders were arrested or placed under house detention after seeking water release from Jurala. He claimed farmers attempting to open project gates were booked in cases and that barricades and police personnel were deployed around the project.
Rao said around 9 TMC of water was available in the Jurala project and questioned why it was not being released for the ayacut. He argued that about 2 TMC was needed for drinking-water requirements and said the remaining water could support irrigation needs and help protect crops in the region during the current crop season directly there. The Telangana government’s position on the allegations was not included in the material provided. Rao urged the administration to address the issue and focus on protecting standing crops.
