BRS Demands Immediate Irrigation Water Release for Jurala Farmers

BRS leaders, led by former minister T. Harish Rao, have demanded the immediate release of irrigation water to farmland under the Jurala ayacut, while strongly condemning the arrest and detention of farmers and BRS leaders protesting for water in the erstwhile Palamuru district.

Harish Rao criticised the detention of former ministers Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, Lakshma Reddy and Srinivas Goud, along with former MLAs Chittem Ram Mohan Reddy and Ala Venkateshwar Reddy and other BRS leaders who participated in the agitation. He termed the arrests unjustified and questioned the deployment of a heavy police presence around the Jurala project.

He questioned why Krishna water was being diverted from Srisailam towards Kuppam, nearly 738 kilometres away in the Pennar basin, while farmers in neighbouring Palamuru were allegedly struggling for irrigation supplies. He also questioned why the reservoirs constructed under the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) had not been filled adequately.

Harish Rao pointed out that the project has reservoirs at Narlapur, Edula, Karivena and Vattem, with a combined capacity of around 50 TMC. He asked why the government had not taken steps to utilise the available water to support farmers in the region.

He further alleged that despite water being available in the Krishna river over the past two-and-a-half years, lift irrigation pumps were not operated as required. He questioned why water was not lifted for Palamuru farmers even when the Srisailam reservoir had reached full levels.

Harish Rao accused the government of overlooking Telangana’s interests while releasing Krishna water to Andhra Pradesh and demanded explanations from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and the Irrigation Minister.

Former minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy also criticised the government, contrasting the supply of Krishna water to Kuppam with the difficulties faced by farmers in Palamuru. He highlighted the Kuppam Branch Canal, built at a cost of ₹560.29 crore, which is intended to support irrigation across 6,300 acres and drinking water needs of around 4.02 lakh people.

Niranjan Reddy alleged that power supply and lift-pump management issues were contributing to drying farmland in Palamuru. He also accused Andhra Pradesh of diverting Krishna water through the Pothireddypadu and Veligonda routes, while Telangana’s nearby tanks remained unfilled.

The BRS leaders demanded immediate irrigation water for Jurala ayacut farmers and the release of all detained farmers and party leaders.