BRS Counters Uttam’s Claims on Kalwakurthy Lift Operations

Rapid Summary

• Location: Hyderabad, Telangana.
• The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) reacted strongly to Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy’s claim that water could not be lifted from Medigadda Barrage due to damaged piers, calling it a case of unwillingness rather then technical impossibility.
• T. Harish Rao’s Response: Criticized the delay in utilizing flood water and challenged Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy to prove Andhra Pradesh had not drawn 65 TMC ft Krishna water allocated for Telangana last year. He emphasized that over one-lakh cusecs of floodwater is passing through the Kannepally pump house area without requiring storage at Medigadda Barrage to lift water.
• V. Prashanth Reddy’s Defense: Clarified that lifting water at Kannepally is possible with current river levels (96 meters), dismissing claims linking sinking piers with operational issues at other pump houses upstream.
• BRS questioned recent achievements in agriculture, attributing high paddy production to pre-existing projects.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The ongoing exchange between BRS leaders and Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy highlights persistent tensions surrounding Telangana’s irrigation sector and resource management after state formation in 2014. While the defense from BRS underscores confidence in existing infrastructure like Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project,allegations regarding missed opportunities for drawing krishna River waters could signify inefficiencies or political discord impacting optimal resource utilization.this debate also touches on broader implications for inter-state disputes over shared water resources such as Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh potentially benefiting from Telangana’s allocation gaps under similar circumstances.

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