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States » SouthPosted at: Mar 15 2025 8:02PM


Cong govt committed to protect Telangana's rightful share of Krishna River water: Minister

Hyderabad, Mar 15 (UNI) Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday reaffirmed in the Assembly the Congress Government’s commitment to protecting the state’s rightful share of Krishna River water and exposed the previous BRS government’s alleged failures in safeguarding the interests of the state.

Speaking in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address in the house, Reddy accused the BRS regime of compromising Telangana's water rights by failing to challenge Andhra Pradesh's excessive withdrawals.

Uttam highlighted that Telangana receives only 299 TMC of Krishna water, while Andhra Pradesh secures 512 TMC, despite Telangana’s larger catchment area and greater agricultural needs.
He criticized the BRS government for not contesting this unfair allocation, claiming their inaction resulted in the state’s continued loss.

The Minister blamed the BRS government for delaying the Apex Council meeting, which could have opposed Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS). He also questioned the BRS leadership regarding AP's increase in irrigation capacity during their tenure.

According to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) data, from 2014-15 to 2020-21, Andhra Pradesh utilized over 64% of Krishna water while Telangana's share remained below 36%. In 2020-21, AP consumed 629.07 TMC, whereas Telangana received only 248.23 TMC.

Reddy criticised the BRS government for failing to approach the Supreme Court or KWDT-II (Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal) to challenge AP’s excessive water usage. He emphasized that the Congress Government is taking corrective measures by installing telemetry instruments at Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam Dams to monitor water levels and prevent unauthorized diversions.

Drawing from his experience as a six-time MLA and former MP representing the Krishna Basin, the Minister said he was committed to securing Telangana’s water rights. "Unlike the previous government, we have reopened the Krishna water dispute and will fight to ensure justice for Telangana," he asserted.

Turning to social justice initiatives, Uttam highlighted the Congress Government’s historic caste-based socio-economic survey, the first such survey since 1931. He criticised the BRS government for withholding data from the 2014 Intensive Household Survey (IHS) and failing to make it public.

Reddy claimed the caste survey was conducted transparently, ensuring fair representation for all communities. With 1.03 lakh government employees participating, supervised teams gathered data while 76,000 operators processed findings, marking the Rs 160 crore survey as a significant achievement.

He clarified that the BC population had increased by 6%, while the OC population had declined, countering opposition claims. The Minister reaffirmed the Congress Government’s commitment to implementing SC categorization as per Supreme Court orders and based on Justice Shameem Akhtar Commission’s recommendations.

"The Congress Government, under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, is dedicated to delivering social justice," Reddy added, promising further steps to ensure an inclusive approach for those omitted from the caste survey.
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Tags: #Cong govt committed to protect Telangana's rightful share of Krishna River water: Minister
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