HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the state would draw 70 tmcft water from the Jurala project for the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) if the Union government failed to grant permission to use 45 tmcft initially from minor irrigation savings.
“I swear in the name of God that I will not do injustice to Telangana. If the Union government does not permit the utilisation of 45 tmcft initially for PRLIS from minor irrigation savings, we will draw 70 tmcft from the Jurala project. I will see who comes to stop it, whether it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, or former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy,” he said.
The chief minister added, “If anyone questions my integrity and commitment to Telangana, I will not only skin them but also cut their tongue. We will not compromise on Telangana’s development and water rights. We will not bow to anyone. We will protect the rights and interests of Telangana.”
Following a short discussion on Krishna water in the Assembly, the House unanimously adopted a two-point resolution introduced by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy urging the Centre to grant all required permissions to PRLIS and not to accord approval to the proposed Polavaram–Nallamalasagar project of Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking during the debate, Revanth said retired engineers and the Engineering Staff College of India had recommended lifting 2.8 tmcft per day for 25 days, totalling 70 tmcft, from the Jurala project for PRLIS, but the recommendation was ignored by former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Revanth said the project could have been completed at an estimated cost of `35,000 crore if Jurala had been retained as the source point.
“Instead, KCR shifted the source from Jurala to Srisailam, leaving the head and opting for the tail. This increased the number of shift pumps, lifts and stages. If designed with Jurala as the source, the cost of pumps and lifts would have been Rs 5,185 crore. After shifting to Srisailam, it rose to Rs 10,335 crore,” he said, adding that while PRLIS was designed to lift and store 90 tmcft, reservoir capacity was planned only for 70 tmcft.
BRS regime took loans at high interest instead of using Central funds: CM
The chief minister said that until 2022, the previous government had not prepared estimates. “When they finally submitted them to the Central Water Commission, the cost rose to `55,800 crore. Between 2015 and 2022, despite the absence of estimates, `20,000 crore was spent without providing water to a single acre. Had they pursued Central schemes, 90% of the funding could have come from the Union government. Instead, loans were taken from PFC and REC at 11.5% interest. After we came to power, at our request, the Union government restructured the loans at 7.2% interest,” he said.
Revanth alleged that when the National Green Tribunal stayed construction of the project, KCR filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that it was only a drinking water project and not an irrigation project, and that only 7.15 tmcft would be used in 2022. “This was done to resume the project, make payments to lift and pump companies, and collect commissions,” he said.
Revanth said that in 2022, the BRS regime sought permission from the Central Water Commission to utilise 45 tmcft from minor irrigation savings and another 45 tmcft in lieu of Godavari-to-Krishna water transfers, totalling 90 tmcft for PRLIS. “However, data on minor irrigation was not available. After the Congress came to power, we requested the Union government to treat minor irrigation as a cluster and consider cluster-level data. That is why we sought permission to utilise 45 tmcft linked to minor irrigation,” he said.
The chief minister also said that he halted the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme by exerting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. “In a closed-door meeting, when I spoke to Chandrababu Naidu respectfully, they stopped the project. I warned that if Andhra Pradesh continued with Rayalaseema, we would draw water from Jurala for PRLIS. That project is now not progressing. I request the Speaker to send a fact-finding committee with representatives of all parties, including BRS members,” he said.
Accusing KCR of mortgaging Telangana’s water rights to Andhra Pradesh, Revanth said that 490 tmcft had been allocated to 24 projects on the Krishna river in undivided AP. “During the Kiran Kumar Reddy regime, it was concluded that Telangana projects were utilising 298.96 tmcft. Based on this, the previous BRS government agreed in 2015 to 299 tmcft for Telangana and 512 tmcft for Andhra Pradesh. In 2020, the same arrangement was accepted permanently until the Brijesh Kumar tribunal gave its verdict, and reiterated again at the Apex Council meeting. KCR has written a permanent death warrant for Telangana. Taking advantage of this, the Andhra Pradesh government is trying to delay tribunal hearings,” he said.
He questioned how KCR, “who claimed readiness to sacrifice his life for the people, water and development”, had allowed Krishna water, which he called Telangana’s lifeline, to be ceded to Andhra Pradesh.
Referring to international water law, Revanth said allocations should be based on catchment area. “As Telangana has 71% of the catchment, it should receive 555 tmcft. At 65% dependability of 1,005 tmcft, Telangana should get 763 tmcft. While we are arguing for 555 tmcft out of 811 tmcft, the BRS is spreading misinformation that we are mortgaging water rights to Andhra Pradesh. We stand for commissioning projects; they stand for commissions,” he said.
Reacting to the BRS boycott of the Assembly, Revanth said it amounted to insulting the House. “We repeatedly invited KCR to attend and give suggestions during the discussion. For the past two years, he has not attended the Assembly despite repeated appeals. When the BRS was in power, leaders such as K Jana Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka attended and spoke on behalf of the people, even when they were insulted,” he said.
He also referred to past remarks by the BRS supremo. “KCR once said he would strip my clothes and skin me alive. Had they participated in the debate, the people would have decided who would strip whom and who would skin whom,” he said.
House adopts two-point resolution on river waters
As Mahbubnagar district is drought-prone and has high levels of migration, earlier governments planned the Palamuru–Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme. After the formation of Telangana, there has been no progress in the works, while project costs and estimates have risen over the past 10 years. Taking these factors into account, this House adopted a resolution urging the Union government to grant all clearances and permissions for PRLIS (90 tmcft)
Until disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are resolved, no permissions should be granted for the Polavaram–Banakacherla link, Nallamalasagar, or any other project involving the diversion of Godavari water