Hyderabad: Former Minister and BRS Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of failing to provide relief to drought-affected people in Telangana. He alleged that the government’s inaction had left farmers facing severe crop losses and several districts struggling with water shortages.
Addressing a press conference in Gajwel on Thursday, Harish Rao criticised the Congress government’s handling of drought conditions. He claimed the administration had received advance warnings but failed to take preventive measures.
According to him, scientists and Agriculture Department officials had reportedly alerted the government about possible El Niño conditions and drought nearly 10 months earlier. However, he alleged that the government had not acted on those warnings to protect farmers and the public.
Harish Rao alleges Telangana drought relief failure
Harish Rao said the drought was not an unexpected development and questioned the government’s preparedness. He alleged that crops had dried up across nearly 12 lakh acres in Telangana because the government failed to take timely preventive action.
Moreover, he claimed farmers were suffering substantial financial losses as agricultural production declined. Cotton farmers were particularly affected, with yields reportedly falling to just two or three quintals per acre in some areas.
He said the reduced production had prevented several farmers from recovering their cultivation investments. Harish Rao blamed the Congress government’s response for worsening the difficulties faced by the farming community.
Cotton farmers face losses, says BRS leader
The former Minister highlighted the problems faced by cotton growers during the prevailing drought conditions. He claimed that sharply reduced yields had made cultivation financially difficult for farmers in affected areas.
Additionally, he said crop damage across nearly 12 lakh acres demonstrated the seriousness of the agricultural situation. Harish Rao questioned why the government had not introduced adequate relief measures despite receiving warnings about adverse weather conditions.
He maintained that the administration should have acted earlier to minimise the impact on agricultural production. Harish Rao also alleged that several Telangana districts were already experiencing shortages of drinking and irrigation water.
He said the situation required immediate government intervention to address the needs of affected communities. Meanwhile, he compared Telangana’s response with measures reportedly adopted by neighbouring states.
According to him, neighbouring governments had declared drought-affected areas, while some states had announced immediate financial assistance for farmers. He also referred to states releasing funds to district collectors for drinking water arrangements.
However, he alleged that the Telangana government had neither declared drought-affected zones nor announced immediate financial assistance. Harish Rao argued that the Telangana drought relief failure reflected inadequate planning despite advance warnings from agricultural experts.
He said the reported El Niño warnings should have prompted preventive measures before drought conditions affected cultivation. Furthermore, he criticised the government for failing to address problems involving agricultural losses and water availability.
The BRS leader also questioned the government’s handling of power purchase agreements. He linked his criticism to what he described as the administration’s failure to address the difficulties faced by farmers and the public.
Harish Rao maintained that the government had not responded adequately to the drought situation despite growing concerns over crop damage and water shortages.