Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao on Sunday demanded that the Telangana government immediately operate the Kannepalli Pump House to lift Godavari waters. He warned that further delays could trigger a severe agricultural and drinking water crisis across the State.
Addressing the media after inspecting the Kannepalli Pump House in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Rama Rao said 26 of Telangana’s 33 districts were already experiencing drought-like conditions. He claimed that lakhs of cusecs of Godavari water were flowing into the sea because the government had failed to use the existing Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project infrastructure.
KTR said weather experts had already warned of the impact of El Niño and below-normal rainfall. However, he alleged that the Congress government had failed to prepare for the situation and ignored repeated warnings. He urged the administration to set aside political considerations and focus on filling reservoirs to protect farmers and ensure drinking water supplies.
Kannepalli Pump House at centre of BRS protest warning
The BRS leader appealed to the government to restart the Kannepalli Pump House immediately and fill reservoirs across Telangana. He alleged that the government was delaying water release because it wanted to avoid the financial burden of procuring higher crop output, supplying fertilisers and paying bonuses to farmers.
Rama Rao also defended the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, rejecting allegations of corruption. He demanded that pending repairs be completed quickly and maintained that the project remained capable of supplying water if operated properly.
He further criticised the police for allegedly obstructing the BRS delegation during its journey from Hyderabad to Kannepalli. According to him, a journey that normally takes four hours lasted nearly seven hours because of barricades and restrictions at multiple locations.
KTR warned that the BRS would intensify its agitation if the government failed to begin lifting water from the Kannepalli Pump House immediately. He announced that the party would lay siege to the pump house with an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 supporters if the government continued to ignore the issue. He also urged the government to “switch on the Bahubali pumps” and ensure water reaches Telangana’s farmers.