Harish Rao questions Revanth Reddy over Telangana water share from Tungabhadra dam

On Thursday, former Telangana minister T. Harish Rao criticized Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks calling the inauguration of 33 crest gates of the Tungabhadra dam a 'golden chapter'. Speaking in Hyderabad, the former minister questioned what concrete water-sharing benefits Telangana had actually secured through this development.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Harish Rao said that instead of celebrating the replacement of gates at the Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka, the Chief Minister should explain what concrete assurances he had obtained regarding Telangana’s rightful share of Krishna waters.

He questioned whether the Chief Minister had secured any commitment on protecting Telangana’s water allocation under the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS). Harish Rao asked whether Andhra Pradesh had agreed to permanently close the RDS outlets on its side and undertake repairs to the RDS barrage to ensure Telangana receives its legitimate share of water.

Harish Rao also sought to know whether Karnataka had assured immediate repairs and regular maintenance of the RDS canal located within its territory. He said that the continued neglect of these issues has repeatedly deprived Telangana of the water it is entitled to under the project.

He stated that merely replacing the Tungabhadra dam gates would not ensure Telangana receives its rightful 15.90 TMC of water. He pointed out that the old gates had functioned for decades, yet Telangana never received more than five TMC through the RDS.

The critique highlights the ongoing inter-state disputes over water allocation between Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Harish Rao questioned whether Telangana will ever secure its rightful 15.90 TMC of water under the RDS without the necessary repairs and gate closures being executed by the neighboring states.