HYDERABAD : Expressing concern over the reports that the combined irrigation projects of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh would come under the control of the Centre, BRS MLA and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao on Friday said this would not only result in water woes for the state but also lead to a reduction in power generation.
Speaking to reporters here, Harish Rao expressed concern that the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) would take control of the common irrigation projects of AP and TS by next week. This would benefit AP and render injustice to Telangana farmers, he said.
Harish Rao urged the State government to focus on the subject. “All parties, leaving aside their political agendas, should unite on this,” he said.
Stating that the Centre proposed to bring the common projects under the control of KRMB in 2021 itself, Harish Rao said that the previous BRS government opposed the proposal. “At that time, the BRS government insisted on certain conditions to hand over the projects to the KRMB, but the Centre did not agree to those conditions,” he recalled.
When Krishna river water allocation between sibling states of AP and TS has not yet been finalised and Telangana making it clear that it wants 50% share in Krishna waters, how could the Centre hand over the projects to the KRMB without resolving these issues, he asked. Harish Rao pointed out that the operation manual for KRMB was not yet finalised.
He also pointed out that once the projects were taken over by the KRMB, then it would have an adverse impact on hydel power generation. “Officials would have to seek the permission of the KRMB to start the hydel power generation and by the time the KRMB gives its nod, the power grid would collapse,” Harish Rao feared.
He also demanded that the State government utilise water from the Medigadda project to save the standing Rabi crop.
BRS won’t rest till Congress govt implements its guarantees: KTR
Alleging that the ruling Congress was trying to avoid implementing the guarantees it announced, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Friday said that his party won’t rest till the government fulfils all its promises. Addressing the pink party’s Lok Sabha polls preparatory meeting for the Medak constituency, he said: “The BRS is the only party that can protect the interests of Telangana and its people.” Stating that the BRS has recently released the statistics and all other details related to the development the state witnessed during K Chandrasekhar Rao’s 10-year rule, he alleged that the Congress failed to fulfil its promise of waiving the farm loans up to `2 lakh on December 9.