Reddy accused KCR of colluding with former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleging that KCR had promised to allow Andhra Pradesh to use Godavari waters to drought-proof the Rayalaseema region.
Published Jun 18, 2025 | 11:16 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 18, 2025 | 11:16 PM
The Chief Minister accused the party of attempting to shift the blame for its failures onto the Congress
Synopsis: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Wednesday accused the previous BRS government of enabling Andhra Pradesh’s Godavari–Banakacherla Link Project, blaming KCR and Harish Rao for compromising Telangana’s water rights. He asserted that it was during KCR’s tenure that the groundwork for the project was laid, and defended the Congress government’s response.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday, 18 June, squarely blamed the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for Andhra Pradesh’s ‘audacity’ in proceeding with the Godavari–Banakacherla Link Project.
Addressing the media after an all-party MPs’ meeting conveyed by Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy at the state secretariat in Hyderabad – called to formulate Telangana’s strategy to mount pressure on the Centre to stop the project – Reddy played video clips of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to counter BRS allegations that the Congress was neglecting Telangana’s rights over the Godavari waters.
Reddy, who is set to meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister in Delhi along with Uttam Kumar Reddy, held KCR – who served as Telangana’s Chief Minister for ten years and as Irrigation Minister for five – and T Harish Rao, also a former Irrigation Minister, responsible for betraying Telangana’s interests.
He accused KCR of colluding with former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleging that KCR had promised to allow Andhra Pradesh to use Godavari waters to drought-proof the Rayalaseema region.
Reddy said KCR met Jagan Mohan Reddy four times after the latter assumed office in 2019, thereby facilitating Andhra Pradesh’s plans.
“If anyone has to be punished for the gross injustice done to Telangana, it is these two leaders for betraying the trust of the people. They bartered Telangana’s interests at the altar of Andhra Pradesh for selfish reasons,” Reddy said, criticising BRS leaders for routinely throwing “buckets of mud” at the Congress while disregarding their own role in compromising the state’s interests.
The BRS has recently been trying to reignite Telangana sentiment by alleging that Andhra Pradesh is harming Telangana’s interests and that the Congress government is doing nothing about it.
In response, the Chief Minister accused the party of attempting to shift the blame for its failures onto the Congress, while conveniently ignoring KCR’s role in enabling Andhra Pradesh to draw Godavari water for Rayalaseema.
On the contrary, Reddy asserted that the Congress government is actively protecting Telangana’s interests. Since Chandrababu Naidu proposed the Godavari–Banakacherla Link Project, the Telangana government has made representations to the Union Jal Shakti Minister and written to the Union Finance Minister to prevent Andhra Pradesh from going ahead with the project.
“It is because of our efforts that the BJP government at the Centre is now weighing the pros and cons of giving the green signal to Andhra Pradesh. The Jal Shakti Minister recently wrote to the state that without Telangana’s opinion, there is no question of approving the project,” Reddy said.
He recalled that Andhra Pradesh has argued it would only utilise water that would otherwise flow into the sea.
“As the BRS government did not build or complete projects on the Godavari, Andhra Pradesh is now claiming that water is going waste. To make matters worse, Kaleshwaram has become dysfunctional, and as a result, Telangana cannot impound Godavari water to counter Andhra Pradesh’s argument,” Reddy said.
The Chief Minister also took a swipe at Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy for skipping the all-party meeting and rushing to Delhi, where he met the Jal Shakti Minister.
“We do not know what he told the Jal Shakti Minister. Maybe he advised him not to entertain any demands of the delegation of MPs that would meet him tomorrow,” Reddy remarked.
Recalling the first Apex Council meeting held on 9 September 2016 – attended by then Chief Ministers K Chandrashekar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu – Chief Minister Revanth Reddy noted that Rao had pointed out that 3,000 tmcft of Godavari water was flowing unutilised into the sea and had stressed the need for cooperation between the two states.
“It was on this day that the seeds for the Godavari–Banakacherla Link Project were sown,” Reddy said.
He added that if the Centre grants Telangana its rightful share of 968 tmcft of water from the Godavari and 555 tmcft from the Krishna, he would have no objection to Andhra Pradesh going ahead with projects on these rivers using the remaining water that might otherwise flow into the sea unused.
Reddy emphasised that the Telangana government is currently pursuing a diplomatic approach to the issue.
“We want to use all means – sama, dana, bheda, dandopayalu – and we are using the first option. If all else fails, we will take up a legal battle with Andhra Pradesh and the Centre,” Reddy declared.
Reddy also criticised the BRS government’s flagship project, the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, pointing out that its main barrage at Medigadda had collapsed – evidence, he said, of the quality of its construction.
“It is the heart of the project, and if it is down, the entire project is down. It is the place from where water is drawn for onward movement to two more reservoirs and to various parts of north Telangana,” he said.
Responding to T Harish Rao’s claim that only the Medigadda barrage had issues and the rest of the Kaleshwaram project was functional, Reddy quipped, “I want to know if Harish Rao can live with his heart removed.”
Referring to the ongoing Kaleshwaram Inquiry Commission, Reddy said the Irrigation Department would submit all relevant data to the PC Ghose Commission, which is probing alleged irregularities in the project’s execution.
He clarified that there was no cabinet approval for shifting the Kaleshwaram intake point from Thummidihatti in Adilabad district to Medigadda. While approvals were given for increased cost estimates, none existed for the relocation of the project site.
“We will submit all details to the commission before 30 June. KCR, Harish Rao, and Eatala Rajender, who was Finance Minister when he was in the BRS, told the commission that there was cabinet approval for Kaleshwaram,” Reddy said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
