BRS accuses Congress govt as AP diverts Krishna water
The BRS says the Congress-led Telangana government allowed Andhra Pradesh to siphon Krishna river water from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs, despite conditions. They allege diversion through PRP-HR and criticize local ministers for inaction as water levels and allocations are contested.
Key takeaways
- BRS asserts AP draws Krishna water from jointly managed Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs.
- Allegations include use of the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and diversion via PRP-HR.
- As of the report, Sagar reservoir level is 532 ft with 172 tmc ft stored, capacity 312 tmc ft.
- AP allegedly diverted 148 tmc ft of Krishna water; 30 tmc ft could be allocated to the Left Canal ayacut based on current levels.
What Happened
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) criticised the Congress Government in Telangana, accusing it of permitting Andhra Pradesh to siphon Krishna water from the shared Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs. The remarks came from former minister and Suryapet MLA G. Jagadish Reddy, speaking in Nalgonda alongside former legislators. He asserted that two ministers from the former combined Nalgonda district remained silent as AP drew water daily from the joint reservoirs, including through the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator, despite a prior condition that water could be drawn only after Nagarjunasagar became surplus.
Reddy claimed AP had already diverted Krishna water by diverting it through PRP-HR and had impounded projects/reservoirs in Rayalaseema to secure Krishna water. He noted that during the previous BRS government, water was allocated to the Sagar ayacut for 17 seasons in a row, even when the water volume was lower than current levels, including lift schemes based on the Sagar Left Canal.
As of Friday morning, the water level in Sagar stood at 532 feet (172 tmc ft) against a capacity of 590 feet (312 tmc ft), which, he said, was sufficient to supply 30 tmc ft to the Left Canal ayacut. He asserted that AP had diverted 148 tmc ft of Krishna water, while Telangana’s Left Canal farmers were left without relief.
Why It Matters
The dispute centers on inter-state water sharing tied to jointly managed reservoirs that serve both states. If the AP diversions and the disputed releases continue or escalate, it could affect water allocations for Telangana’s ayacuts and farmers relying on the Left Canal, potentially heightening inter-state tensions over a critical resource and provoking calls for policy or governance changes in managing shared water infrastructure.
The speaker framed the dynamics as a failure of the Telangana government to curb upstream diversions and protect its own allocations, highlighting political blame over technical or administrative aspects of reservoir releases.
Background
The two reservoirs—Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar—are described as joint facilities for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Historical references were made to past water allocations during the previous BRS governance, including periods when water was supplied to the Sagar ayacut despite varying reservoir volumes. AP has been alleged to divert Krishna water through the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and to have redirected Krishna water via channels described as PRP-HR. The discussion occurred in Nalgonda, a district in Telangana that is part of the political geography referenced by the speaker.
Key Facts
- The BRS accuses the Congress Government of allowing AP to siphon Krishna water from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs.
- The claim includes daily water draw by AP and use of the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator, despite a condition tied to Nagarjunasagar surplus.
- AP is said to have diverted 148 tmc ft of Krishna water.
- Water level in Sagar was 532 ft (172 tmc ft) on Friday morning, with reservoir capacity at 590 ft (312 tmc ft).
- The level was stated to be sufficient to supply 30 tmc ft to the Left Canal ayacut.
- Previous BRS governance allegedly supplied water to the Sagar ayacut for 17 seasons, even when water volume was lower than current levels.
What Happens Next
There is no explicit scheduling or next-step plan outlined in the remarks. The rhetoric centers on accusing the Congress Government of permitting diversions and on highlighting the current water level context, implying demands for accountability and potential future political debate over reservoir management and inter-state water sharing.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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