Hyderabad: Former Minister and BRS Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao blamed the Congress government for Telangana drought conditions on Wednesday. He alleged that poor water management had contributed to the situation.
Addressing a press conference in Nagarkurnool, Harish Rao disputed the government’s explanation linking the conditions to the El Nino phenomenon. He said Telangana had declared a crop holiday in some areas, while neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had not done so.
Harish Rao noted that both States shared the Krishna and Godavari river systems. He alleged that administrative failures, rather than water scarcity, had led to the situation.
Telangana drought conditions linked to water management: Harish Rao
Harish Rao cited the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme while questioning the government’s management of available water resources. He claimed that officials were operating only three of the scheme’s five motors. According to him, the three motors operated for about eight hours each day.
Harish Rao said all five motors could lift around 4,000 cusecs if they operated round the clock. However, he claimed that the government was lifting only around 800 cusecs. He alleged that the government had failed to use the available irrigation infrastructure to its full capacity.
“It is this incompetence that has driven the farming community to tears,” Harish Rao said. He maintained that government inaction had caused the drought-like situation in Telangana. He rejected the contention that El Nino alone had caused the prevailing conditions.