We will fight for our rightful share of Krishna, Godavari waters: Uttam

Suryapet: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy asserted that the Congress government would wage an uncompromising battle to secure the State’s rightful share of Krishna and Godavari river waters.

Speaking during his inspection of the R-9 Lift Irrigation Scheme in Suryapet on Sunday, Uttam said the government would strongly defend Telangana’s water interests before all competent forums, including river water tribunals and the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

“I want to tell the people and farmers of Telangana very clearly that we will fight effectively to ensure justice to Telangana in the allocation of Krishna and Godavari waters,” he said, adding that there would be no compromise on the State’s rightful share. The Minister dismissed criticism of the Congress government’s irrigation and power management as “false and bogus propaganda”. He said attempts were being made to project the previous BRS regime as more efficient in managing irrigation and electricity, but claimed that the actual record presented a different picture.

Uttam said the Congress government was efficiently managing irrigation systems and agricultural power requirements and was committed to ensuring optimum utilisation of every available drop of water.

He also launched a sharp attack on the previous BRS government, alleging that huge amounts of public money were spent during its decade in office without generating proportionate irrigation potential. Several major projects, he said, remained incomplete despite substantial expenditure.

The Minister cited the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and other pending projects as examples of schemes that had not delivered the promised benefits to farmers. Referring to the Kaleshwaram project, he said the people of Telangana had already witnessed the outcome of the much-publicised irrigation initiative and alleged that thousands of crores were spent without corresponding ayacut benefits.

He also pointed to expenditure on the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) system and other pending works, stating that investments in irrigation infrastructure must ultimately translate into reliable water supplies and increased irrigated acreage.

Uttam said the Congress government would adopt a different approach by focusing on completing pending projects, creating actual ayacut, improving water-use efficiency and safeguarding Telangana’s river-water entitlements.

He said irrigation projects should be assessed not merely by the money spent on them but by the quantity of water delivered to farmers and the acreage brought under assured irrigation.

During the inspection of the R-9 Lift Irrigation Scheme, the Minister reviewed its utility and stressed the need for efficient functioning of irrigation infrastructure to ensure that water reaches farmers without avoidable delays or losses.

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