Hyderabad: Karnataka agreed to a Jurala water release for 10 days following talks with Telangana Ministers in Bengaluru over shortages affecting the project ayacut. Telangana Ministers Jupally Krishna Rao and Vakiti Srihari confirmed the development after holding high-level discussions with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
The Ministers said Shivakumar responded positively to Telangana’s request despite limited water availability in Karnataka. The development is expected to provide relief to farmers dependent on the Priyadarshini Jurala Project in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district.
The Telangana delegation held two rounds of discussions with Shivakumar over the water requirement. During the talks, the Ministers highlighted drought-like conditions caused by El Niño. Moreover, they explained the critical water shortages affecting the Jurala ayacut.
“Chief Minister Shivakumar assured us that water will be released to Jurala for 10 days on an intermittent basis,” the Ministers said. The assurance provided for an intermittent Jurala water release over the 10-day period.
Following the meeting, Shivakumar issued directions to expedite the water release. He instructed Karnataka Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy and Chief Secretary Dr. Shalini Rajneesh to take the necessary steps.
Jurala water release aimed at helping farmers
The Telangana Ministers said the water shortage had created serious difficulties for cultivators dependent on the Jurala ayacut. At the same time, they acknowledged that Karnataka was also facing constraints in water availability.
Jupally Krishna Rao and Vakiti Srihari expressed gratitude to the Karnataka leadership for responding to Telangana’s request. They thanked the neighbouring State for giving priority to the concerns of Telangana cultivators during a period of shared water distress.
The Jurala water release assurance followed the bilateral discussions in Bengaluru and Telangana’s request for water to address shortages in the project ayacut.