‘Hand Over Irrigation Department to Me for Three Months; If I Fail to Bring Water, I’ll Quit Politics’
THE JOURNALIST POST
HYDERABAD | Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Former Telangana Irrigation Minister and BRS Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress government over its handling of irrigation and water management, challenging Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to hand over the Irrigation Department to him for three months. Harish Rao declared that if he failed to provide irrigation water to farmers during that period, he would quit politics.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao accused the Congress government of allowing Godavari waters to go waste despite severe drought-like conditions caused by the El Niño effect. He questioned why the government was not operating irrigation pumps even when flood inflows of nearly one lakh cusecs were available at the Sammakka Barrage, alleging that farmers were being deprived of water while reservoirs and tanks across the undivided Warangal district continued to dry up.
He alleged that although the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme has the capacity to lift much more water, only about 2,542 cusecs were being pumped despite the barrage maintaining sufficient water levels. Calling the government’s inaction “criminal negligence,” Harish Rao questioned why the available infrastructure was not being fully utilized to support farmers during the agricultural season.
Targeting the Chief Minister’s criticism of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, Harish Rao rejected the government’s presentation on the project and claimed that Kaleshwaram remains one of the country’s greatest engineering achievements. He said the project comprises three barrages, 21 pump houses, 15 reservoirs, and over 200 kilometres of tunnels, and accused the Congress government of attempting to tarnish its reputation through misleading presentations.
Harish Rao also disputed the Congress government’s claims regarding the proposed Tummidihetti project. He asserted that the Central Water Commission (CWC) itself had stated that adequate water was unavailable at Tummidihetti and challenged the Congress to produce documentary evidence proving that approval had been obtained for a Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 152 metres. He declared that if such proof was produced, he would resign as an MLA immediately; otherwise, he demanded that the Chief Minister apologize to the people of Telangana.
Questioning the role of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), Harish Rao alleged that the same official linked to major financial losses in the Polavaram Project had now become Chairman of the NDSA committee examining Medigadda. He claimed the timing of reports on Medigadda ahead of elections indicated a political conspiracy.
Defending the Kaleshwaram project, Harish Rao said it had successfully handled flood inflows of up to 15 lakh cusecs, while accusing the Congress government of presiding over multiple failures during its tenure, including the collapse of the Sunkishala retaining wall, flooding of the Vattem pump house, and damage to the Peddavagu project.
He further argued that the Kaleshwaram project had received approvals from 18 Central Government agencies and that studies conducted by WAPCOS and expert committees had recommended the Medigadda site. He maintained that the project expanded irrigation potential from 16 lakh acres to 37 lakh acres and increased water utilization from 160 TMC to 240 TMC, justifying the project’s revised cost.
Harish Rao also questioned the increase in the estimated cost of the Kodangal–Narayanpet Lift Irrigation Scheme under the present government and asked how Hyderabad’s Musi River rejuvenation plans would be possible without water supplied through the Kaleshwaram project.
Calling for a discussion in the Assembly on the Sammakka Barrage, Harish Rao reiterated that the Congress government should immediately begin lifting water to protect farmers from drought conditions.
