Harish Rao Blames Congress Government for Crop Losses Despite Water Availability

Former minister and BRS Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress government of failing to supply irrigation water to farmers in the Palamuru region despite sufficient water being available in reservoirs. Blaming the Revanth Reddy government for the worsening agricultural situation, he said the crisis was not a natural drought but one caused by administrative failures. He urged farmers not to lose hope, asking them to remain patient for another year to 18 months, and expressed confidence that the BRS would return to power.

Harish Rao, accompanied by former ministers Singireddy Niranjan Reddy and V. Srinivas Goud, and other BRS leaders, inspected dried-up paddy fields in Alwala village of Peddamandadi mandal in Wanaparthy district. Farmers explained that their crops had withered just before harvest, leaving them unable to recover their investments and forcing them into debt. The leaders interacted with affected farmers and assured them of their support.

Addressing a farmers' meeting in the village, Harish Rao recalled that the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme had enabled farmers to cultivate two crops annually for eight consecutive years during the previous KCR government. He alleged that the present administration had failed to maintain irrigation supplies despite adequate water availability.

Citing reservoir levels, Harish Rao said 221 TMC of water was available in Srisailam and 252 TMC in Jurala, but irrigation motors were not operated adequately. He claimed that although the Kalwakurthy scheme could lift 50 TMC, the government had utilised only 18 TMC. Questioning the water distribution, he said Krishna waters were reaching Kuppam, nearly 700 km away, while Wanaparthy, just 70 km away, remained deprived.

He further claimed that Telangana's utilisation of Krishna waters had declined from 41% under KCR to 25% under Revanth Reddy and criticised delays in the Palamuru-Rangareddy project.

Harish Rao said 250 acres of paddy in Alwala alone had been damaged, while crop losses across the state were estimated at 24–25 lakh acres. He demanded compensation for affected farmers, round-the-clock operation of all five Kalwakurthy motors and another 15 days of irrigation supply from Jurala.