BRS Demands Immediate Kaleshwaram Water Release Amid Telangana Dry Spell

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday launched statewide protests demanding the immediate release of irrigation water through the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) , alleging that the state government had failed to provide timely relief to farmers despite adequate Godavari water availability. The protests come as a prolonged dry spell across Telangana has heightened concerns over the ongoing kharif season and the impact on standing crops.

The protests were held under the slogan "Take Our Blood, Give Farmers Water," a symbolic response to remarks recently attributed to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during a debate over the drought situation. The BRS alleged that instead of addressing farmers' concerns, the government had made insensitive comments while delaying the release of irrigation water.

At Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad, the BRSV and the party's youth wing organized a blood donation camp titled "CM Revanth Reddy's Blood Thirst." The programme was led by BRSV State President Gellu Srinivas Yadav and attended by former ministers V. Srinivas Goud , C. Laxma Reddy , and senior leader Balka Suman . After the camp, student and youth activists attempted to march to the Chief Minister's camp office carrying blood packets collected during the drive. Police intercepted the rally and detained several protesters before they could proceed.

A similar protest was held at the Mupkal Pump House in Nizamabad district , where Balkonda MLA and former minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy donated blood alongside farmers. He later handed over blood samples and a memorandum to officials of the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) , requesting that they forward the appeal to the Chief Minister.

Prashanth Reddy alleged that Godavari floodwaters were flowing into the sea without being effectively utilized and urged the government to immediately activate the Kannepalli pumps to lift water through Yellampalli into the Flood Flow Canal . He said the Rampur, Rajeshwar Rao Peta and Mupkal pump houses , constructed during the previous BRS government, were ready for reverse pumping operations and could be used to supply irrigation water to farmers facing severe moisture stress.

Claiming that the SRSP reservoir currently holds around 15 TMC of water , the former minister demanded the immediate release of 4 TMC through the Flood Flow Canal, Kakatiya Canal and Gutpa-Alisagar irrigation schemes to protect standing crops. He argued that the previous BRS government had supplied irrigation water even when storage had fallen to 6 TMC , questioning why the present administration was reluctant to do so despite higher water availability.

The dispute comes amid continuing political differences over the operation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project , one of India's largest lift irrigation schemes. While the Congress government has maintained that decisions on the project's operation are being guided by technical assessments following structural issues reported at the Medigadda barrage , the BRS insists that the available pumping infrastructure should be used to provide immediate relief to drought-hit farmers.

Warning of a wider agitation, Prashanth Reddy said that if the government fails to announce a decision on water release during the scheduled 'Shivam' meeting on July 15 , the BRS will launch phased protests with farmers along canals and water bodies across the erstwhile Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts, intensifying pressure on the state government to address the irrigation crisis.