KTR demands free water tankers in Hyderabad, Rs 25L aid for kin of 208 farmers who died by suicide

HYDERABAD: Accusing the Congress Government in the State for the acute shortage of drinking water and irrigation in the State, BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded free tanker service for the citizens of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Addressing media at the BRS headquarters here on Wednesday, he said that over 2.30 lakh water tankers were booked in Hyderabad in March alone. “When 20,000 litres of drinking water must be given free of cost, how can the Government charge fees for the tankers? They must be supplied free of charge,” he said.

KTR pointed out that the drinking water problem in the State was also the result of mismanagement of the Revanth Reddy’s Government. “Lower Manair which is the main component of Mission Bhagiratha is almost drying up. Agriculture land dried up because water was not lifted from Kaleshwaram. Yesterday water was lifted with the help of one pump in the Gayatri pumphouse,” he said.

Countering the argument of the Congress Government that the drinking and irrigation water crisis was because of lower-than-average rains last season, KTR said that last year's rains were 14 percent more than average as per the IMD data.

“There is enough water in Singur, Yellampally, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, and Nagarjuna Sagar all the Government has to do is to utilise the water. The Sunkishala project is almost complete. One must be able to use it to lift water even from dead storage,” KTR observed. He said water can be lifted from Yellampally to fill Kondapochamma Sagar to quench the thirst of the Hyderabad city.

He also demanded exgratia of Rs 25 lakh to the kin of the 208 farmers who died by suicide after the Congress came to power in the State. "The Chief Minister is asking us about the veracity of the numbers that we furnished, he is the CM, let him find out the truth," KTR said.

Predicting a by-election in Station Ghanpur and Khairatabad, the BRS leader said that the Speaker must disqualify both Kadiyam Srihari and Danam Nagender for ditching the BRS for greener pastures. He said that the BRS would wait till this Sunday and take the next step.