Naidu’s ‘Silence’ on Water Dispute Endangering Rayalaseema, Says YSRCP

The YSR Congress Party has alleged that the Government of Karnataka is pushing ahead with the Upper Bhadra project in violation of water-sharing norms, despite no allocation from the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal and pending implementation of the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal.

The project proposes diversion of 29.9 TMC of water to irrigate 5.57 lakh acres . The party criticized the Andhra Pradesh government for not raising objections, calling the silence harmful to farmers reliant on Krishna river waters.

YSRCP leaders accused the government led by N. Chandrababu Naidu of prioritizing politics over state interests , warning that irrigation systems in Rayalaseema could be severely affected.

Referring to its tenure, the party said the government of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had opposed the project, raised objections with the Central Water Commission in 2020, and moved the Supreme Court of India in 2023 seeking a halt.

Meanwhile, the Centre has approved a revised project cost of ₹21,167.93 crore and allocated ₹5,300 crore after granting it national project status. YSRCP alleged this support reflects political favour despite the issue being under judicial consideration.

The party also claimed Karnataka has exceeded its permitted water usage and warned that the project’s actual diversion capacity could be higher than stated.

YSRCP cautioned that reduced inflows into Tungabhadra and Srisailam reservoirs could threaten irrigation across 7.09 lakh acres , trigger drinking water shortages , and impact downstream regions including the Krishna delta.

Calling it a critical issue for Andhra Pradesh’s water security, the party urged immediate intervention, warning of a severe future water crisis if the project continues unchecked.