Hyderabad: Excise and Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Monday blamed the previous BRS government for the Jurala water shortage and inadequate storage capacity. Addressing the media at the Congress Legislative Party office in the Assembly, he questioned why the previous government had not built additional reservoirs.
Jupally said inadequate storage had affected the government’s ability to provide sufficient water to the Jurala project ayacut. He specifically referred to the Jurala region in Jogulamba Gadwal district. The minister also defended the current government’s approach to managing available water.
He said opening project gates without sufficient inflows could create serious drinking water shortages. Therefore, he argued that authorities had to balance irrigation requirements with drinking water needs.
Jurala water shortage linked to storage capacity
Jupally said the previous BRS administration had failed to create enough storage capacity around the Jurala project. He referred to former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s earlier proposal for a 20-TMC Gattu reservoir.
Jupally also recalled a promise to carry water from Singotam to the Jurala and Bhima ayacuts. “Former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao promised a 20-TMC Gattu reservoir and vowed to channel water from Singotam to the Jurala and Bhima ayacuts,” he said.
He then questioned why the previous government had not implemented those proposals. “If the previous government truly cared about the Palamuru region, why were these reservoirs never built?” Jupally asked.
He alleged that the failure to increase storage capacity had left the region vulnerable to drought conditions. The remarks formed part of his criticism of the previous government’s irrigation policy in the Palamuru region.
At the same time, he maintained that the current administration had to manage the available water cautiously. Jupally also raised the issue of Telangana’s share of Krishna river water. He claimed that Telangana had received no more than 30 per cent of its allocated share during the BRS government’s tenure.
By contrast, he claimed that the current Congress government had secured 43 per cent. The minister said the State government would not compromise on Telangana’s rightful share of Krishna waters.
His figures were presented as claims during the press conference. The source did not provide supporting allocation records or a response from the BRS to those claims. Jupally linked the Krishna water issue with the wider debate over the Jurala water shortage and reservoir management.
He argued that both storage capacity and river inflows affected water availability for the ayacut. Meanwhile, the minister said the government expected additional inflows from upstream reservoirs. He specifically referred to the Almatti and Narayanpur dams.
Gudendoddi reservoir planned amid Jurala water shortage
Jupally said the government had sanctioned funds for the 15-TMC Gudendoddi Balancing Reservoir. He presented the project as part of the government’s effort to strengthen water storage in the region. In addition, he said authorities expected further inflows from the Almatti and Narayanpur reservoirs.
The minister said the government was using available water resources carefully to prevent shortages in the coming season. He again defended the decision not to release water without adequate inflows.
According to Jupally, an early release could worsen drinking water availability if fresh inflows remained insufficient. Therefore, the administration had focused on preserving available reserves while monitoring upstream flows.
He said the government would continue managing water with irrigation and drinking water requirements in mind. The minister maintained that the present Jurala water shortage reflected the lack of storage infrastructure created during the previous government’s tenure.
He also argued that the new balancing reservoir and anticipated inflows could improve water availability. However, he said the government would continue to avoid decisions that could create drinking water shortages later. Jupally reiterated that Telangana would pursue its claimed share of Krishna river waters without compromise.