KTR decries Centre’s apathy towards Telangana irrigation projects

HYDERABAD: BRS Working President and Minister KT Rama Rao wrote an open letter to the Centre and has taken a serious exception to the Environment Assessment Committee (EAC) deferring the environmental clearance (EC) for the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS).

In an open letter addressed to the Union Government, KTR highlighted the intense discrimination of the Central government against Telangana State.

“I write this open letter with utter disappointment regarding the discriminatory actions of the BJP-led Central government against Telangana State. I want to highlight the Center’s unjust treatment of the State’s irrigation projects, particularly the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS). It is essential to draw attention to this issue and demand that it be addressed promptly.

“The Palamuru Rangareddy project is a ray of hope for the drought-prone areas of Nagarkurnool, Mahabubnagar, Vikarabad, Narayanapet, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda Districts in Telangana. It aims to provide water for over 12.5 Lakh acres of land and fulfill the drinking water needs of many villages, Hyderabad City, and industries. This project has the potential to transform lives and reduce the struggles caused by water scarcity,” said the minister.

Erstwhile Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda Districts had struggled with drought and water scarcity. Additionally, Nalgonda faced fluoride issues. Mahabubnagar experienced migration of labourers due to lack of irrigation facilities. “After the State formation, the Telangana government has undertaken many irrigation projects to address the challenges of water scarcity and agricultural development. Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) is one of the significant irrigation projects of Telangana,” he pointed out.

However, the BJP-led Central government completely neglected Telangana's irrigation projects and provided no support or funds. They created obstacles in granting permissions and refusing to grant national status to State’s projects. Meanwhile, projects in other states received funding, permissions, and national status.

“How fair is it that the Union government has refused to grant national status to the PRLIS while readily granting national status to the Upper Bhadra irrigation project in Karnataka?

“The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II has not given any decision on sharing water between the four states. The Central government has not taken significant action to address this matter. Telangana has been demanding for its rightful share of 500 TMC water from the Krishna. Unfortunately, the Central Government has not taken the basic step of referring our request to the tribunal even after 9 years,” KTR lamented.

Despite water being a state subject, Telangana is currently unable to utilize its own water from irrigation projects without obtaining permission from the central government.

The way the BJP-led Central government treated Telangana was very disappointing. They ignored the state's fair requests and didn’t give us the same opportunities as others. The people of Telangana should have a fair chance to develop and get what they deserve.

“Let me make one thing clear: the Centre cannot break Telangana's indomitable spirit. Despite the central government's lack of support, Telangana has consistently outperformed other states in the country in various sectors.

“I urge everyone to condemn the Central Government's unfair treatment towards Telangana. The biases of the Central government should not hinder the transformative potential of our irrigation projects. It is time for us to ensure that Telangana's development is not compromised any longer,” asserted KTR.