Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy accused the previous BRS regime of wasting Rs 1.81 lakh crore on incomplete Telangana irrigation projects, leading to severe water shortages for farmers.
HYDERABAD: Irrigation & Civil Supplies Minister Capt N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has strongly criticized the previous BRS government for its handling of Telangana irrigation projects , alleging that Rs 1.81 lakh crore was spent with little to no results. He claimed that crucial projects remained incomplete, leaving 103 TMC of water storage capacity unutilized in Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts.
“The previous BRS government looted public money under the guise of irrigation development. Despite grand claims, they failed to complete major reservoirs and lift irrigation schemes, depriving Telangana of its rightful Krishna Basin share. This mismanagement caused immense suffering for farmers,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said in a press release on Friday.
Krishna Basin Water Left Unutilized
The minister highlighted that Telangana’s share of Krishna River water was slipping away due to the BRS government’s failure to finish key projects. Despite access to water from the Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs, incomplete irrigation infrastructure meant that the state could not store sufficient water, worsening the agricultural crisis.
Uttam Kumar Reddy accused the previous administration of making grand announcements without real progress. “If the BRS government had been serious about irrigation, Telangana’s farmers would not be struggling today,” he said.
Incomplete Telangana Irrigation Projects
Among the major stalled projects under the BRS regime is the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) , designed to store 67.52 TMC of water but still non-operational. The key unfinished reservoirs under PRLIS include:
- Anjanagiri Reservoir – 6.40 TMC
- Veernam Palli Reservoir – 6.55 TMC
- Venkatadri Reservoir – 16.74 TMC
- Kurumurthyraya Reservoir – 19.00 TMC
- Udandapur Reservoir – 16.03 TMC
- KP Laxmidevipally Reservoir – 2.80 TMC
Similarly, the Srisailam Right Bank Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme (SRVR Dindi LIS) , with a potential capacity of 25.64 TMC, remains incomplete. Key unfinished reservoirs include:
- Pothireddy Palli – 0.225 TMC
- Singarajpally Reservoir (Offline) – 0.81 TMC
- Gottimukala Reservoir (Offline) – 1.839 TMC
- Irwin Reservoir (Online) – 0.553 TMC
- Yerrapalli-Gokavaram Reservoir (Online) – 7.182 TMC
- Dindi Reservoir (Existing) – 2.468 TMC
- Thintapally Reservoir (Offline) – 0.91 TMC
- Kistarampally Balancing Reservoir (Online) – 5.686 TMC
- Shivannagudem Balancing Reservoir (Online) – 11.968 TMC
Additionally, the AMRSLBC project, which could add 9.848 TMC to Telangana’s irrigation potential, was also left unfinished. This includes:
- Dindi Balancing Reservoir – 7.648 TMC
- Pendlipakala Balancing Reservoir – 2.200 TMC
Congress Government Promises to Complete Irrigation Projects
Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that the Congress government would act swiftly to complete these projects and resolve the irrigation crisis caused by BRS’s failures. He emphasized that Telangana’s rightful Krishna Basin share had been wasted due to the inaction of the previous administration, but the current government would ensure that every drop of water is utilized effectively.
“The days of corruption and deception are over. We will fix what the BRS ruined, and Telangana’s farmers will get the water they deserve,” he declared.
He further stated that the Congress government had prioritized the completion of Telangana irrigation projects to ensure sustainable water storage, improve agricultural productivity, and protect farmers from further hardship.
