Is DK Aruna against border-water sharing arrangements, asks Gutha

Nalgonda: Reacting to BJP MP DK Aruna’s remarks calling for the cancellation of the Dindi project, Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy said such statements were inappropriate. Instead of encouraging differences between regions, he urged her to work towards securing national project status for the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme by pressing the Centre for support. “Such recognition,” he said, “could help mobilise funds and accelerate pending works.”

Gutha emphasised that protecting the interests of farmers in both Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts should remain the government’s priority. He cautioned against arguments that water should be used exclusively within the district where it originates, stating that such an approach could undermine broader water-sharing arrangements.

He welcomed the state government’s decision to allocate 0.5 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water to the Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme (DLIS) - to be sourced from the Srisailam reservoir - describing it as an important step towards fulfilling the aspirations of people in the erstwhile Nalgonda district. He thanked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy for the decision.

Addressing a media conference at his camp office in Nalgonda on Sunday, Gutha said the Dindi project was crucial not only for irrigation but also for improving access to safe drinking water in fluoride-affected areas, particularly Devarakonda and Munugode. “The project was conceived to address the long-standing hardships faced by people in these regions,” he said.

He pointed out that the proposed irrigation projects in the erstwhile Nalgonda district were intended to cover nearly 10 lakh acres, while irrigation facilities were available for 7.78 lakh acres. Projects including the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC), Udayasamudram, Dindi and Devadula were proposed to provide irrigation to 7.58 lakh acres, but several works remained incomplete.

“Similarly, irrigation facilities in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district covered 8.50 lakh acres against a proposed target of 10 lakh acres,” he said. Completing the Palamuru-Rangareddy project was essential to reduce migration from the drought-prone region and support farmers.

Criticising previous governments for allegedly neglecting projects in the Krishna basin, Gutha said greater investment in these schemes could have accelerated their completion. He also suggested exploring alternative lift arrangements to supply water until the SLBC tunnel work was completed.

He called for the speedy completion of pending irrigation projects, particularly those in the Krishna basin, and urged political parties and public organizations to work together beyond regional and party differences. Inter-state water disputes, he added, should be resolved through dialogue, keeping Telangana’s interests and farmers’ welfare paramount.

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Deekonda Ravi Shankar

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