State of irrigation projects: uttam exposes chinks in BRS’ armour

Hyderabad: In a high-stakes PowerPoint presentation delivered to Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) from the ruling Congress party, and his cabinet colleagues, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy laid bare what he described as the "severe neglect" of key irrigation projects under the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government led by K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was present at the session, which aimed to arm Congress leaders with facts ahead of debates in the Assembly on river water sharing and irrigation priorities.

He accused the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government of committing a "major blunder" by relocating the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) from its original site at Jurala to Srisailam.

He described this decision as a betrayal of Telangana's water interests, leading to massive cost escalations, loss of priority in water allocations and unnecessary concessions to Andhra Pradesh.

Minister, drawing from official documents, historical government orders, and hydrological data, painted a picture of systemic neglect and misguided policies under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his administration.

"This shift was not just an error. It was a deliberate undermining of our state's future," Reddy asserted, emphasising that the original Jurala-based plan would have secured better outcomes for drought-prone regions in south Telangana.

Claims of 90% works completion debunked, called it a a "Cruel" deception

The minister began by dismantling what he called the BRS's "baseless" and "cruel myth" of 90% completion on the PRLIS. He revealed that the project, initiated via a Government Order (GO) on June 10, 2015, under the BRS regime, was originally estimated at Rs 35,000 crore.

However, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) on September 13, 2022, inflated the cost to Rs 55,000 crore, and this excluded critical elements like the ayacut canal system and land acquisition.

"The completion of the PRLIP and its full fledged operationalisation with the ayacut canal system and distributor network implemented would demand over Rs 80,000 crore.

"Reddy explained, highlighting that the BRS had only spent Rs 27,000 crore during its tenure. Countering accusations from KCR and former minister T Harish Rao, who claimed the Congress government had ignored the project, Reddy pointed out that his administration had invested Rs 7,000 crore in the past two years alone.

He accused the BRS of inflating progress reports to mislead the public, stating, "Their 90% completion claim is utterly unfounded and a disservice to the people of Telangana, especially those in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts, who have suffered from drought for decades." Reddy further noted that the BRS had wrongly alleged the Congress government in undivided Andhra Pradesh had neglected Krishna basin projects, when in fact, the foundational GO for PRLIS was issued by the Congress in August 2013.

The Core Blunder- Relocating PRLIS from Jurala to Srisailam

He called the BRS's decision to shift the PRLIS intake from Jurala to Srisailam a "major blunder" with far-reaching consequences. According to the minister, the original proposal, enshrined in the August 2013 GO from the Congress-led government in undivided Andhra Pradesh, positioned PRLIS as an "old project" with inherent priority in water allocation tribunals. "Had we stuck to Jurala, it would have been recognized as an existing initiative, not a fresh one subject to new delays and scrutiny," Reddy said.

He referenced GO 34, which was accepted by the tribunal for enabling online and offline storage of water drawn from Jurala, as a key provision that could have expedited implementation.

Reddy elaborated on the hydrological advantages lost due to the relocation. Jurala, he explained, provides access to 70 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of flood water, with an average daily flow of one lakh cusecs for 28 days during flood seasons. As the first project on the mainstream of the Krishna River Basin – spanning the Upper Krishna sub basin and Upper Bhima Sub-Basin – Jurala benefits from catchment areas over the Western Ghats, ensuring reliable water availability. "By moving to Srisailam, we've placed Mahabubnagar and surrounding areas at the receiving end, dependent on upstream releases that may not always materialize," Reddy warned, adding that this shift reduces both the quantum and reliability of water supply.

Economic Fallout and Comparisons with Other Projects

The Minister argued that sticking to Jurala would have averted significant cost escalations, drawing a stark comparison with the Kaleshwaram project under BRS rule. "For just two additional TMC in Kaleshwaram, they tendered works worth Rs 20,000 crore involving multiple tunnels," Reddy said. In contrast, the PRLIS capacity was deliberately capped at one TMC to accommodate Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, sacrificing Telangana's potential benefits.

"This was a compromise that cost us dearly," he asserted, noting that the overall project costs ballooned without delivering proportional value.

Reddy also highlighted the broader economic impact, including delays in irrigating arid lands and the burden on farmers. "The BRS's mismanagement has not only escalated costs but also prolonged the suffering of our drought-hit regions," he stated, urging a return to cost-effective, priority-based planning.

Sacrificing Telangana interests for Andhra Pradesh

Pointing out the BRS's "undue cooperation" with Andhra Pradesh, which he said came at Telangana's expense, Uttam Kumar Reddy criticised the decision to limit PRLIS to one TMC to facilitate the Rayalaseema scheme.

When Andhra Pradesh began work on it, Telangana's interests were sidelined. "Stakeholders from erstwhile Mahbubnagar must take note of how their water rights were bartered away," Reddy said.

He referenced a November letter from former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to present AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu, where Jagan questioned why the Naidu government failed to present strong arguments on water rights before the tribunal.

In contrast, Reddy confidently declared, "Telangana's arguments are very strong and should not be undermined." He reiterated Telangana's demand for 763 TMC out of the total 1,050 TMC available in the Krishna Basin, stressing that the state's interests must remain protected at all costs.

"We advocate for the acceptance of online and offline storage from Jurala drawals, as per tribunal-accepted provisions," he added.

Upcoming Tribunal verdict and legal strengths

Reddy said that the Brijesh Kumar Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-2) verdict is expected in eight months time. "Section 3 of the Inter-state Water Disputes Act is our main strength," he stated, expressing optimism that justice will be done to Telangana.