Uttam Reddy Slams BRS Over Krishna Water Deal
“A party which ruined the state’s water security has no moral right to speak of river water rights”: Uttam Kumar Reddy
NALGONDA: Telangana was now using more Krishna River waters than during the BRS government tenure. This had resulted in enhanced irrigation that led to higher crop production, irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Tuesday. He accused the BRS of a “historic betrayal” in Krishna River water sharing and said the party had no moral right to criticise the Congress government on the matter.
The BRS government had agreed to a 66:34 share of Krishna waters post-bifurcation, giving Andhra Pradesh 512 tmc ft and leaving Telangana with only 299 tmc ft, he noted. “A party which ruined the state’s water security has no moral right to speak of river water rights,” he declared, after inspecting works at Jawahar Janpahad and Rajiv Gandhi lift irrigation schemes in Huzurnagar.
The Congress government has taken an aggressive stand in fighting for a larger share through the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II), Supreme Court, Krishna River Management Board, and Central authorities, he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted Congress’ achievements since December 2023, including increased irrigation and record paddy production of 148 lakh metric tonnes. He vowed that Telangana would not lose “even a single drop” of its rightful share and committed to completing all ongoing Krishna projects — Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Bhima, Koilsagar, Palamuru Ranga Reddy, SLBC and Dindi LIS — by 2028.
Later, he inspected Indiramma colony works in Huzurnagar with Housing Corporation MD V.P. Goutham and district collector Tejas Nandlal Pawar. He announced that 2,160 Indiramma houses would be handed over at a single site, a first in the state’s history.
Uttam Kumar Reddy recalled purchasing land for the colony in 2011 as housing minister and said the BRS had turned it into a dumping yard. He said the Congress government had resumed works, spending ₹75 crore on infrastructure. Each flat, built at 325 sq. ft., costs ₹6 lakh. In the first phase, 1,000 houses will be allotted to poor families with white ration cards in Huzurnagar town, with the rest distributed across the constituency.
