NIRMAL: Slammi ng the Telangana government for “failing” to utilise river waters effectively this year, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday said that the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh managed its water resources much better.
Speaking at the “Rythu Garjana” public meeting here, the BRS leader asked: “Andhra ku neellu, Telangana ku yekkillu (hiccups) yenduku? (Why does Andhra Pradesh get water while Telangana is left struggling?).Blaming Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for the water crisis the state is currently facing, he said: “Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu transported Krishna waters from Srisailam to his Kuppam Assembly segment, which was 750 km away from the river.Revanth Reddy, on the other hand, neglected the Palamuru farmers and took no measures to protect the crops in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar.”
Rama Rao questioned why nearly 1,000 tmcft of Telangana’s rightful share in Godavari and Krishna rivers was being allowed to flow downstream. Citing Pattiseema and water supply to Kuppam, he questioned why Andhra Pradesh’s projects were receiving water while Palamuru and Nirmal were facing drought.
“The present situation is not merely a natural drought but a crisis aggravated by the failure of those in power to utilise available water resources,” he said.
The former minister also alleged that though Nirmal is located on the banks of Godavari, it was facing a drought.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, KCR boosted the confidence of the farmers and helped them. But Revanth Reddy failed to give such confidence to farmers during the present El Nino phenomenon,” he said.
‘CM worried more about my beard than farmer issues’
While farmers are waiting for assurances on irrigation water, uninterrupted power supply and financial assistance, Revanth Reddy was not responding to their concerns. “He is more worried about my beard,” he said.
“Though the state is facing a crisis, the government had only one focus area that is to auction valuable land parcels,” he alleged.