Hyderabad: Former BRS MLA Balka Suman on Tuesday accused the Congress government of being responsible for drought-like conditions in Telangana, alleging that its failure to ensure adequate irrigation water and uninterrupted electricity supply had left farmers struggling to protect their crops.
Speaking to the media, Suman criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the state government over their discussions with the Maharashtra government on the proposed Tummidihetti barrage, alleging that the move was intended to divert public attention from the problems faced by farmers.
"The drought-like conditions in Telangana are not caused by nature but by the Congress government. Crops are drying up due to the government's incompetence and failure to provide irrigation water and electricity," he alleged.
Suman said farmers in the state were forced to transport water in tankers to irrigate paddy fields due to inadequate water availability and irregular power supply.
He questioned the government's decision to hold discussions with Maharashtra on constructing a barrage at Tummidihetti after allegedly allowing available water to flow downstream.
"While farmers are struggling without water and electricity, the government is staging a new drama in the name of Tummidihetti. The Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister are projecting their discussions with Maharashtra as a major achievement," he said.
Referring to the proposed barrage, Suman claimed that the Central Water Commission (CWC) had earlier indicated inadequate water availability at Tummidihetti. He demanded that the government disclose the Detailed Project Report (DPR), including the proposed expenditure and the extent of agricultural land expected to benefit.
"The Kaleshwaram project's detailed project report (DPR) clearly specifies the extent of land to be irrigated. The government should similarly make public the DPR of the Tummidihetti project and explain where the water will come from," he demanded.
The former MLA also accused the government of failing to utilise existing irrigation infrastructure, including the Kaleshwaram, Palamuru-Rangareddy, Sitarama and Devadula projects.
He alleged that water was released downstream instead of being lifted from Kannepalli and questioned why the government had not taken steps to ensure water supply from the Medigadda barrage.
Suman also sought details on the quantity of water lifted through the Sitarama project and the number of motors operated under the Devadula project.
He claimed that activating the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation system could help supply water to the districts concerned.
Taking aim at both the Congress and BJP, Suman alleged that the two parties were equally responsible for the failure to restore water supply from Medigadda.
He accused the BJP-led Central government of acting hastily in sending a National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) team to inspect the Medigadda barrage while remaining silent on its repairs.
"The Congress and BJP are working together and staging political dramas while neglecting farmers' interests. The BJP is supporting Revanth Reddy and playing the role of a villain," he alleged.