Hyderabad: BRS Working President KT Rama Rao came down heavily on the Karnataka Congress government for deciding to raise the Almatti dam height, calling it a ‘death warrant’ for Telangana farmers.

The BRS leader slammed Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for ‘luxuriating in Delhi’ while a dangerous conspiracy was being hatched against Telangana’s farmers. KTR pointed out that the Karnataka cabinet, three days ago, decided to raise Almatti’s height from 519 feet to 524 feet.

He alleged that this was not merely for an additional 100 TMC of water, but part of a conspiracy to deprive Telangana of its rightful share of Krishna waters and turn erstwhile Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, and Ranga Reddy districts into deserts. “Congress is in power here and there too. Do you have neither the courage to speak nor the guts to resist when Telangana farmers’ lives are at stake?” he asked, demanding that both Revanth Reddy and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi answer Telangana people.

KTR declared that national parties must have a national policy. “Will you sacrifice Telangana farmers for Karnataka’s interests?” he thundered, warning that if the conspiracy was not thwarted immediately, BRS would launch a mass movement with farmers.

He expressed anguish that the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme 90 per cent completed under KCR’s tenure—would be rendered useless if Almatti is raised. “Revanth, who calls himself a son of Palamuru, is silently watching this disaster,” he criticised.

Even Joorala would not fill without Krishna inflows, KTR added, noting that Revanth’s own Narayanpet-Kodangal LIS too would collapse.

KTR rebutted Congress’ corruption allegations on Kaleshwaram by citing Almatti costs. Karnataka itself admitted that Rs 70,000 crore was needed just for land acquisition to raise Almatti dam’s height by 5 feet and acquire 1.3 lakh acres.

“If that is the cost for 5 feet, what is wrong with spending 93,000 crore for Kaleshwaram – with 3 barrages, 15 reservoirs, 19 substations, 21 pumping stations, 203 km of tunnels, 1,700 km of canals – to irrigate 40 lakh acres?” he asked. He called Kaleshwaram the lifeline, kalpavriksha and kamadhenu of Telangana that corrected six decades of injustice. The Congress’ allegations of Rs 1 lakh crore corruption, he said, were cheap, malicious propaganda.

KTR reminded that the Almatti issue is pending before the Supreme Court. In 2013, undivided AP had filed an SLP against the KWDT-II permission, securing a stay citing riparian rights. He pointed out that even Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis reacted immediately, promising to approach the Supreme Court, while Revanth remained asleep. “Revanth has no sincerity to protect Telangana’s interests, that is the misfortune of our people,” he lamented.