Hyderabad: BRS leader and former minister Harish Rao on Friday criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy over his Krishna water utilisation claims, alleging that the Chief Minister lacked awareness of his government’s performance in protecting Telangana’s water rights.
In a statement, Harish Rao said it was unfortunate that the Chief Minister was unaware of the actual utilisation of Krishna river waters during his tenure.
“A Chief Minister who lacks such fundamental understanding poses a serious threat to Telangana’s water rights,” he said.
Harish Rao also questioned Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and asked whether the government was unaware of official communications issued by its own departments.
Krishna water utilisation claims trigger political dispute
The BRS leader referred to a communication sent by the Telangana Engineer-in-Chief (General) to the Krishna River Management Board on May 2, 2026.
According to Harish Rao, the letter stated that Andhra Pradesh utilised 74.23 per cent of available Krishna waters, while Telangana utilised 25.77 per cent.
“Unlike Revanth Reddy, I do not make baseless allegations or speak without evidence,” Harish Rao said.
He alleged that despite projecting himself as a representative of Palamuru, the Chief Minister had failed to deliver significant benefits to the undivided Mahabubnagar district during the last two-and-a-half years.
Furthermore, Harish Rao accused the Congress government of spreading misleading information to divert attention from its failures in the irrigation sector.
He claimed the government had failed to complete the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, which was designed to provide irrigation to 12.30 lakh acres and drinking water to 1,226 villages.
Krishna water utilisation claims linked to irrigation projects
Harish Rao alleged that the Congress party and Revanth Reddy had opposed the Palamuru-Rangareddy project from the beginning and had filed cases that delayed its progress.
However, he claimed the previous BRS government defended the project and accelerated its execution despite legal challenges.
Responding to the Chief Minister’s remarks on land acquisition, Harish Rao said the comments reflected a lack of understanding of the project.
He stated that the previous government acquired 27,191 acres of land for the Palamuru-Rangareddy project. Therefore, he challenged the Congress government to disclose how much land it had acquired during the last two-and-a-half years.
“Wasting 30 months and then waking up after completing half of the government’s term to talk about land acquisition proposals is nothing short of shameful,” he said.
Harish Rao also referred to a promise made by Revanth Reddy in the Assembly to provide irrigation to 12 lakh acres within two years.
“A person who failed to honour that commitment has neither the credibility nor the qualification to speak about irrigation,” he remarked.
The former minister said major irrigation projects required vision, commitment and effective implementation rather than publicity efforts.
He credited former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with transforming the fortunes of Palamuru and reducing migration from the region.
Harish Rao further claimed that several long-pending irrigation projects inherited from previous governments became operational during the BRS administration.
మీ ప్రభుత్వ పాలనలో కృష్ణా నీటి వినియోగం ఎంత జరిగింది అనే కనీస అవగాహన @revanth_anumula కి లేక పోవడం పాలమూరుకే కాదు, యావత్ తెలంగాణకు దురదృష్టకరం.
ఇలాంటి ఆవగాహన లేని వ్యక్తి రాష్ట్రానికి ముఖ్యమంత్రిగా ఉండటం తెలంగాణ జల హక్కులకు తీవ్ర విఘాతం.
నీళ్ల మంత్రి @UttamINC కి కూడా కనీస… pic.twitter.com/J8SUHg6IbF
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) June 5, 2026