Govt will protect State’s rightful share of Krishna water: Uttam

Hyderabad: Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy reaffirmed the Congress government’s commitment to protecting the state’s rightful share of Krishna River water, exposing the previous BRS government’s failures in securing Telangana’s interests.

Intervening during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor’s Address in the Assembly on Saturday, he accused the BRS regime of surrendering Telangana’s water rights to Andhra Pradesh and allowing illegal withdrawals to continue unchecked.

The Minister pointed out that the allocation of Krishna River water remains unjust, with Andhra Pradesh receiving 512 TMC while Telangana gets only 299 TMC, despite the latter’s larger catchment area, drought-prone regions, and agricultural needs.

He criticised the previous BRS government for not contesting this unfair division and revealed how the previous administration’s inaction led to Telangana’s loss.

Uttam Kumar Reddy blamed the previous BRS regime for enabling Andhra Pradesh to float tenders for the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) by delaying the Apex Council meeting, which could have challenged the project. Similarly, he asked under whose regime, Andhra Pradesh increased its irrigation capacities. “The BRS government failed to take legal or political action, allowing AP to continue excessive withdrawals,” he said.

The Minister said the Congress government is now taking corrective measures, including the installation of telemetry instruments at Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam Dams to monitor water levels and prevent unauthorised diversions by Andhra Pradesh.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said he remained deeply committed to protecting Telangana’s water rights. “Unlike the previous government, we have reopened the Krishna water dispute and will fight to secure justice for Telangana,” he added.