HYDERABAD: BRS MLA and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao on Thursday alleged that the Telangana government was in deep slumber even as the AP government was illegally diverting Krishna river waters. Speaking to reporters, Harish claimed that there was no action from the government even though the state is set to face a drinking and irrigation water crisis in the summer.
He said that there was a danger of standing crops in one lakh acres drying up in the state. “Around 10,000 cusecs of water is being diverted by AP from Nagarjunasagar right canal. The BRS government used to divert water to parched lands. But the present Congress is unable to protect the interests of the farmers,” he alleged.
Against the ad hoc allocation of 512 tmcft to AP, it diverted 657 tmcft from Krishna river so far, Harish Rao claimed and wondered why the Congress was silent on this issue. “In the last 25 days alone, AP diverted 60 tmcft water,” he said.
The Siddipet MLA said: “Krishna river received 1,010 tmcft this year. As per the ad hoc arrangement, the share of AP should be 666 tmcft. But it already used 657 tmcft. The balance to AP was just nine tmcft. In the same ratio, Telangana should get 343 tmcft. But it got only 220 tmcft. The balance due to Telangana was 123 tmcft. But the available water is only 100 tmcft,” he said.
Harish Rao said that farmers in Suryapet and Khammam need more water to save the standing crops. “People in Khammam, Mahabubabad, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Hyderabad need Krishna water for drinking purposes. To meet these requirements, the government should stop the illegal drawing of water by AP government,” he suggested.
“If the government is unable to do this, then it should lead an all-party delegation to KRMB or Ministry of Jal Shakti to stage a dharna before those offices,” he added.