BRS to intensify fight over Telangana’s water rights on December 19

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has decided to step up its agitation against what it calls the continued injustice to Telangana’s share of Krishna and Godavari river waters and the “indifferent approach” of the Congress government on irrigation issues.

A joint meeting of the BRS Legislature Party and the party’s State executive will be held on December 19 under the chairmanship of former Chief Minister and BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao. The meeting will take place at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad from 2 pm and is expected to deliberate on the State’s water rights, irrigation projects and farmers’ issues, party sources said.

According to BRS leaders, the Congress government has failed to safeguard Telangana’s legitimate share in Krishna and Godavari waters, allowing Andhra Pradesh to continue what they termed as “illegal diversion” of river water. The party alleged that the State government has shown little urgency in defending Telangana’s interests before the Centre and river management authorities.

Focus on Palamuru–Rangareddy Project

One of the key issues to be discussed is the Palamuru–Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project. The BRS has strongly objected to the Congress government’s reported acceptance of only 45 TMC of water allocation, against the 91 TMC secured during the previous BRS regime.

The party accused Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy of compromising Telangana’s interests by seeking approval for a reduced allocation from the Centre. BRS leaders claimed that this decision would severely affect farmers and residents of Palamuru, Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts.

Call for Fresh Public Movement

Party president K. Chandrashekar Rao is of the view that a fresh public movement is inevitable to protect Telangana’s irrigation and farmers’ rights. The meeting is expected to lay the foundation for future agitations and mass programmes on water-related issues.

The BRS also criticised the BJP, pointing out that despite having eight MPs from Telangana, none had raised their voice on the State’s water concerns. The party alleged that the BJP-led Union government was favouring Andhra Pradesh in the name of river interlinking projects, further undermining Telangana’s interests.

Allegations of Government Neglect

The BRS asserted that had it remained in power, water would have already reached the fields through the Palamuru Lift Irrigation Project. It accused the Congress government of neglecting farmers’ issues even after two years in office and warned that it would no longer remain silent.

Calling the acceptance of 45 TMC from the Krishna river a “grave injustice,” the party said the decision amounted to a betrayal of Telangana’s interests.

Organisational Matters Also on Agenda

Apart from irrigation and farmers’ welfare, the December 19 meeting will also discuss organisational strengthening and future political strategy. The BRS leadership said crucial decisions would be taken on the roadmap for upcoming public movements to defend Telangana’s rights over river water allocations and irrigation projects.