KTR Demands Nagarjuna Sagar Canal Water by Sept 14, Warns of Padayatra
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K T Rama Rao has warned the Telangana government to announce a water release schedule for the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal by September 14 or face a mass farmer foot march, speaking during an event at Miryalguda in Nalgonda district on Thursday evening.
Rama Rao, also known as KTR, stated that he would undertake a padayatra from Kodad to Haliya alongside thousands of farmers if the state administration does not issue the schedule. He alleged that the Congress-led government is withholding water from the Left Canal despite approximately 180 TMC currently being available in the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir.
Recalling past political movements, KTR noted that his father and BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao had carried out a similar padayatra between Kodad and Haliya in Nalgonda district in 2003. He said that previous march successfully pressured the government of the day to address the water issues faced by farmers dependent on the canal, adding that he is prepared to launch an identical agitation now.
The BRS leader pointed out that the Nagarjuna Sagar command area had flourished under the previous BRS government and made significant contributions to the state's agricultural growth. However, he claimed the region is now in the middle of a severe crisis, creating anxiety and uncertainty among local cultivators over whether their crops will receive adequate irrigation.
Countering these remarks on Friday, Congress MLA Beerla Ilaiah told reporters that irrigation projects across Nalgonda district, specifically the modernisation works on the Left Canal, had suffered neglect under the previous BRS regime. Ilaiah argued that the public would not place their trust in the BRS even if Rama Rao proceeded with the proposed padayatra or any other protest.
The Congress legislator defended the administration's actions, explaining that the state government is currently prioritising drinking water supply because of deficient rainfall caused by El Nino conditions. Ilaiah accused Rama Rao of staging demonstrations because he was unable to digest the popularity of the Congress government, which had recently completed 1,000 days in office.
