Published Sep 21, 2026 | 3:36 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 21, 2026 | 3:40 PM
Police prevented the farmers from reaching the dam.
Synopsis: Farmers from the Palamuru region, including Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy, and Mahbubnagar districts, have been protesting at the site for about three days after water releases were halted due to low inflows. They said their paddy, sown three and a half months ago, needed water for six more weeks.
Tension gripped the Priyadarshini Jurala Project in Jogulamba Gadwal District on Monday, 21 September, as police sealed off the dam and stopped farmers and opposition leaders from reaching it.
Farmers from the Palamuru region, including Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy, and Mahbubnagar districts, have been protesting at the site for about three days, after the release of water was halted, citing low inflows. They said their paddy, sown three and a half months ago, needed water for six more weeks.
Officials cited the El Niño effect and low storage, saying the reservoir’s stock must be reserved for drinking water purposes. They urged farmers to choose crops that require less water.
On the evening of Saturday, 19 September, a group of farmers opened the Left Canal’s gate and released water, but the irrigation officials arrived soon after and shut it. Following the incident, police were deployed in large numbers at the dam.
Also Read: Government ramps up irrigation overhaul
Scuffles broke out between police and farmers on Monday, and police detained several protesting farmers. Former BRS MLA from Makthal, Chittem Rammohan Reddy, was taken into custody when he attempted to join the protesting farmers.
BRS leaders Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, C Laxma Reddy, and Srinivas Goud were placed under house arrest and party workers were detained across the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district, ahead of a planned protest at the dam. In Gadwal, farmers’ unions, backed by an all-party platform, have called for a siege of the Collectorate.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao, in a statement on Monday, condemned the detention of former ministers, former MLAs, and other party leaders, calling it illegal. He alleged that the Congress government ordered preventive arrests across several mandals to stifle the protest and criticised booking farmers who tried to open the gates.
KTR claimed the reservoir held about 9 TMC of water, while only around 2 TMC was needed for drinking. He demanded the release of the detained leaders and immediate water supply, warning that continued inaction would provoke strong resentment among farmers.
BJP MP for Mahabubnagar constituency, DK Aruna, also demanded immediate release of water for agricultural needs. She claimed there was enough water for drinking and said Krishna might receive more inflows soon. She also extended support to the protesting farmers at the collectorate and the dam road.
Also Read: Why are Telangana and AP fighting for reallocation of Krishna River water?
BRS leaders criticised the Congress government, alleging that Krishna water was being diverted to Andhra Pradesh while the Palamuru region is ignored. Former minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy said that water from Srisailam was being sent to Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s native place, Kuppam, in Chittoor District.
“You can send water to Chandrababu’s village that is 670 km away and not in the Krishna basin, but not to the Palamuru region, which is only 100 km away?” he asked the state government.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
