Hyderabad: Stating the Congress govt was blaming El Nino for shortage of irrigation water and power in Telangana , former minister T Harish Rao said it was not a drought caused by nature, but by the Congress govt’s failure.
“Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana used 84 tmcft from Srisailam this year. If 84 tmcft was actually used, where did that water go? In Kalwakurthy, only around 8 tmcft has been lifted so far. How can the govt claim that Telangana used 84 tmcft?” he asked. The BRS leader said that when sufficient water was available, Telangana had utilised 31%, 35.8% and 45% during earlier years under the BRS govt. The BRS leader said that during the current water crisis, AP had utilised around 83 tmcft, while Telangana, including for Hyderabad’s drinking water requirement, had utilised only around 43 tmcft.
Speaking at a media conference at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao said irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy had made incorrect claims in the assembly about Telangana’s use of Srisailam water. He said Telangana’s major projects drawing water from Srisailam include Kalwakurthy and Palamuru-Rangareddy. Harish Rao said the Central Water Commission figures showed that Telangana had recorded its lowest utilisation of Krishna water in recent years under the Congress govt.
Which reservoirs were filled? Which fields received it?” he asked. “Palamuru pumps have been kept idle for three years.