Revanth: KCR Signed Death Warrant For Telangana

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly after a nearly day-long debate on PRLIS and inter-state Krishna river water issues, the Chief Minister said Telangana would assert its rights without delay if hurdles were created.

Making his position clear, Revanth Reddy said that if approvals were denied for lifting 90 tmc ft of water from Srisailam, the state would proceed independently by sourcing water from Jurala, which lies entirely within Telangana. He asserted that Telangana could lift up to 70 tmc ft from Jurala without legal or technical obstacles and challenged anyone to stop the move, naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Launching a sharp attack on BRS chief and former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, Revanth Reddy accused them of deliberately compromising Telangana’s interests in Krishna and Godavari water sharing for financial gains. He criticised their absence during the Assembly debate and alleged that the previous regime had effectively signed a “death warrant” for Telangana in Krishna water allocation. To support his claims, the Chief Minister tabled documents and government orders, stating that they showed how decisions taken during the BRS tenure weakened the state’s position.

Responding to Chandrashekar Rao’s warning that he would “skin” the Congress government over the PRLIS issue, Revanth Reddy said any attempt to question the government’s honesty and commitment to safeguarding Telangana’s interests would be met with a far stronger response.

He alleged that shifting the PRLIS source from Jurala to Srisailam during the BRS regime was riddled with corruption and resulted in massive cost escalation. He said the original Jurala-based design involved lifting water from a depth of about 414 metres using 22 pumps, whereas the shift to Srisailam increased the lift to 560 metres and the number of pumps to 37, sharply inflating project costs.

The Chief Minister further alleged that while Andhra Pradesh expanded projects to divert large quantities of water from Srisailam, the BRS government remained silent. He claimed that Andhra Pradesh diverted up to 13.5 tmc ft of water per day and constructed the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project without opposition from Telangana at the time. He said that after the Congress government came to power, complaints were lodged with the Centre, leading to a halt in Rayalaseema project works, and ensuring that Telangana utilised its rightful share of Krishna waters during the 2024-25 season.

Drawing parallels with the Kaleshwaram project, Revanth Reddy said both projects witnessed unilateral changes in source locations without Cabinet approval. He referred to the findings of the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission, which faulted similar decisions in the Kaleshwaram case, and questioned why the PRLIS source was altered, who benefited from commissions, and how project estimates rose from about ₹32,000 crore to nearly ₹80,000 crore.

He alleged that Chandrashekar Rao’s attempts to revive emotional issues outside the House were part of a political strategy following electoral setbacks since 2023.

Explaining the technical aspects, the Chief Minister said Jurala, being entirely within Telangana, could supply 90 tmc ft over 30 days without dispute, unlike Srisailam, which is a common project involving multiple States. He argued that reverting PRLIS to Jurala would prevent Andhra Pradesh from continuing illegal diversions. He also alleged that despite conceiving the Palamuru project in 2015, the BRS government delayed submission of the detailed project report for seven years, even as costs and project stages multiplied.

Revanth Reddy said the Congress government would not allow Telangana’s irrigation interests to be undermined and would take decisive steps, including changing the project source, to protect the State’s rightful share of river waters.