BRS steps up attack on drinking water crisis in Telangana

Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K.T. Rama Rao addressing a press conference held at Telangana Bhavan, Hyderabad on April 3, 2024. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

Stepping up its attack on the Congress Government, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao has alleged that the ‘water war’ has begun in Telangana under the present regime.

Continuing to target the Congress Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and the party, Mr. Rama Rao at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Hyderabad on Wednesday said: “The Chief Minister is crying hoarse on drought situation. However, the reality is that women are on the roads with empty pots to get drinking water.”

The BRS working president said while the previous Government focused on ensuring drinking water and irrigation sources, the present Congress regime is more interested in wooing leaders of other political parties in its fold. “The BRS government had ensured that right from hamlets (tandas) to Hyderabad City, there was never a day when water was not supplied to the people,” he said.

Treating provision of potable drinking water as a human rights, the previous regime had taken up Mission Bhagiratha by spending ₹38,000 crore and saw to it that for the next 50 years, there was no water scarcity in the Twin Cities. The Congress Government is unable to provide proper drinking water to the people, Mr. Rama Rao said adding that no sooner K. Chandrasekhar Rao stepped down as the CM, water tankers have made a big comeback.

Telangana is witnessing investors, generators and water tankers: KTR

In a sarcastic tone, Mr. Rama Rao said presently the State is witnessing investors,generators and now water tankers. The water tanker operators are charging three times the normal rates, he alleged. “This is not natural drinking water scarcity but a situation brought in by the inefficient Congress party,” he lamented.

He wondered when the State had recorded 14 percent excess rainfall, where is the question of water crisis. “There is water stored in irrigation projects but the Government does not want to use it to protect the withering standing crops. Instead of opening gates to encourage defections, it will be sensible to lift gates to provide irrigation sources to the standing crops,” he noted.

Focus on water tapping, not phone tapping

Mr. Rama Rao pointed out that instead of focussing its energy on phone tapping, it would be better to tap water resources. He wondered when there was sufficient water in Nagarjunasagar, Yellampally, Himayatsagar and Osmansagar, where was the need for people to book water tankers. He demanded the Chief Minister to answer why people should suffer for want of drinking water.

He said there was water in Nagarjunasagar that is enough to meet one year’s drinking water needs of the State capital. But, why is Hyderabad facing such severe drinking water crisis, he questioned. He bemoaned that the people of Telangana have to depend on the Delhi elders’ blessings to get the water. The BRS working president faulted the Congress regime for neglecting the Sunkesula project, which is 75 percent complete. “Why is the Government not completing the small works,” he wondered.

He said the Chief Minister had developed grudge against KCR and was going out of way to show Kaleshwaram project as a failed irrigation project. “If the Kaleshwaram project was a disaster, how come the pump houses are functional,” he asked. He said as the Government did not release water from Kaleshwaram, lakhs of standing crops had withered away.

“If the Government had repaired Medigadda project and started the pumps, not even one acre of land would have been affected,” he said accusing the Congress of deliberately delaying release of water and in turn making thousands of farmers suffer.

The BRS leader said Mr. Reddy had developed grudge against the people of Hyderabad as they had voted against the Congress party. He said 2.30 lakh water tankers were moving in the Twin Cities and questioned why the people should shell out their hard earned money when there was sufficient water in the reservoirs.

He expressed fears that due to the lopsided priorities of the Government, people were suffering and said it would not be a surprise if Bengaluru like situation erupted in Hyderabad too. He warned that the BRS cadres would be forced to stage protest demonstrations in front of the Water Board office, if the Government failed to provide drinking water.