Hyderabad, Oct. 16: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) said drought conditions in Telangana were not caused by nature but were due to the Congress government's negligence in using water resources from the Godavari and Krishna rivers.
In a post on the social media platform X, he mentioned that from June 1, 2026, until today, the Congress government had released over 750 TMC of Godavari water downstream and 250 TMC of Krishna water downstream.
“Despite having the opportunity to properly utilise the Kannepally and Devadula pumps to fill reservoirs and tanks along the Godavari River, the Congress government failed to do so,” he said in the post.
The state government wasted Krishna River water by not operating the Palamuru-Rangareddy and KLI pumps, he added.
KTR alleged that the Congress government ignored weather experts' warnings in early March this year about the arrival of El Niño.
“Meanwhile, as soon as the Congress government released water downstream, the Andhra Pradesh government diverted Godavari water through the Pattiseema project and Krishna water through the Pothireddypadu and Veligonda tunnels,” the BRS working president said.
The Andhra Pradesh government even supplied water to the distant Kuppam region, he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy appealed to farmers to avoid paddy cultivation in the upcoming rabi season due to the depletion of water resources in the state under the impact of El Niño.
Speaking to the media, Revanth Reddy compared the impending crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and warned of severe heat and drinking water shortages.
“The state had recorded a 23 per cent rainfall deficit, with water availability in the Krishna basin 72 per cent lower and in the Godavari basin 40 per cent lower. Reservoirs held just 209 tmc ft of water as against 460 tmc ft in October last year. The government had to conserve water as there is a need to supply drinking water to the people,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the government had prepared an action plan and was making collective efforts to tackle the natural disaster. He also urged people to conserve water and electricity for the next ten months.
Revanth Reddy said he would seek Central government help to tackle the drought situation in the state.