Hyderabad: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Palamu in Mahabubnagar district on October 1, Telangana’s Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister, K T Rama Rao (KTR), has criticized PM Modi for the prolonged delay in settling the water share dispute of the Krishna River, spanning over nine and a half years.
During a press conference held at the BRS Bhavan, the party office in Hyderabad on Tuesday, KTR expressed his discontent, stating that it is inappropriate for PM Modi to visit Palamuru without addressing the long-standing issue of Krishna River water sharing.
KTR reminded that Chief Minister KCR had promptly written a letter to the Central government within 40 days of the formation of the state, seeking the allocation of Krishna River water. Despite waiting for a year without any response from the Center, on August 10, 2015, the state government initiated legal action by approaching the Supreme Court. On October 6, 2020, KCR strongly criticized both the Central government and the Water Resources Department during the Apex Council meeting. KTR emphasized that despite the withdrawal of the case, the issue of Krishna River water sharing remains unresolved to this day.
He highlighted that the Bachawat Tribunal had allocated 811 TMCs (thousand million cubic feet) of Krishna River waters to united Andhra Pradesh for common use, whereas Telangana’s argument is for the allocation of 575 TMCs.
KTR further pointed out that Nalgonda, Palamuru, and Rangareddy districts have been suffering significant losses in water resources under Modi’s administration. He criticized the timing of PM Modi’s visit, considering it an attempt to garner votes, and suggested that if one wishes to secure votes, they should take meaningful actions. KTR advocated for the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation project to be granted national status and expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of PM Modi’s visit.
KTR stated that on behalf of BRS , they are demanding that the Prime Minister promptly address this situation and ensure the fair allocation of Krishna River water as part of their ongoing protest.
