Telangana Ministers meets Karnataka CM

Hyderabad: The Telangana ministers delegation requested Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to release water from river Krishna for irrigation needs to protect the interests of farmers in southern Telangana.

The delegation comprising Ministers Vakiti Srihari and Jupally Krishna Rao, along with MLAs Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Megha Reddy, and Madhusudan Reddy met with Karnataka CM in Bengaluru ok Tuesday night.

The delegation brought to Shivakumar's attention the urgent need to release Krishna waters from Karnataka to save crops under Jurala, Bhima, Nettempadu, and Koilsagar ayacut areas.

The four irrigation projects cover an ayacut of approximately 5.5 lakh acres and that thousands of farming families in these regions depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Water shortage at this juncture could adversely affect crop yields, as well as the farmers' income and livelihoods.

The ministers appealed to the Karnataka CM to release 5,000 cusecs of water from Krishna continuously for a period of one month to safeguard the standing crops.

The delegation also informed the CM that since there is a possibility of further rainfall in the Krishna basin before the end of the monsoon season, releasing water in a regulated manner would help the efficient utilization of available water resources.

Karnataka CM responded positively to the ministers' appeal and assured the delegation that measures would be taken to protect the farmers of Telangana.

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Pathan Afzal Babu

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