Harish Rao Demands Revanth Reddy Disclose Three State River Water Decisions

On Saturday, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao demanded that Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy disclose the decisions made during a recent meeting of three state Chief Ministers regarding Telangana's water rights. Speaking at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad, Rao raised concerns over the state's future water security.

The meeting in question involved the Chief Ministers of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, as well as Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil. This discussion took place a few days ago following the inauguration of the Tungabhadra dam spillway gates.

Rao insisted that the decisions reached during this high-level meeting must be tabled and discussed in the state assembly. He emphasized that the issue directly impacts the long-term water security of Telangana, arguing that the government must consult all political parties before making any final commitments to other states or the Centre.

During his address, the former irrigation minister questioned whether Chief Minister Reddy had secured any concrete assurances for Telangana. Specifically, he asked if there were clearances obtained for pending Godavari projects, protections for Telangana’s rightful allocations under the Krishna tribunal, or any progress on the proposed river interlinking project.

Rao accused the current Congress government of compromising Telangana’s legitimate rights over both the Krishna and Godavari waters to serve its own political interests. He criticized the administration for projecting the recent three-state meeting at Tungabhadra as a historic achievement while failing to protect the state's water shares.

According to the BRS leader, the Chief Minister’s lack of understanding regarding complex river water issues has become a serious threat to the future of Telangana. He alleged that while the previous BRS government had fought relentlessly to secure approvals for major irrigation projects, the present Congress government is actively surrendering Telangana’s interests before the central government and neighboring states.

Rao also dismissed the recent celebrations over the replacement of gates at the Tungabhadra Dam. He stated that the state's real concern lies in securing its rightful share of river waters, rather than participating in symbolic events.