Operate all lifts, pumps & utilise Krishna water: Harish to govt | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Former minister T Harish Rao has accused the Congress govt of failing to utilise available Krishna water for irrigation and allowing Telangana farmers to suffer. He demanded that state govt immediately operate all available pumps in the Palamuru irrigation projects and ensure adequate water is released into Nagarjunasagar canals. He said farmers are staging protests in various villages, including chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s own village Kondareddypalli and revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s constituency for not getting adequate power.Addressing the media at Telangana Bhavan along with another ex-minister Vemula Prashant Reddy, Harish Rao said, “This is not a drought caused by nature; it is a drought brought about by Revanth Reddy.” He alleged that despite sufficient water being available, govt was not operating lift irrigation schemes to their full capacity.At the Kalwakurthy lift irrigation scheme, only two of the five pumps at the Ellur pump house were being operated and even those were being switched on and off, he said. He also alleged that pumps under Bhima, Nettampadu and Koilsagar projects were not being operated fully.Referring to Krishna water utilisation, Harish Rao claimed that AP had drawn around 35 thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft) from Srisailam, while Telangana had lifted only about 7 TMC.“Farmers do not need abuses or PowerPoint presentations. They need power for pumps and irrigation water for their fields,” he said.Harish Rao also accused govt of failing to utilise available power-generation capacity. He claimed Yadadri power plant was generating only around 2,000 MW against its 4,000 MW capacity.He said farmers were protesting over the shortage of irrigation water and power and alleged that govt was ignoring their concerns.