Hyderabad | Telangana Bhavan, August 2026: Former Telangana Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy criticised the Congress government over what he described as the neglect of irrigation facilities for farmers, particularly in the Palamuru region. Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, he demanded that the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation (KLI) and Jurala pumping systems be operated continuously to provide water to farmers.
Niranjan Reddy alleged that the government was using the El Niño phenomenon as a reason to discourage farmers from cultivating crops. He claimed that uncertainty over water availability had resulted in many farmers reducing their cultivation and demanded that the government clearly announce its irrigation plans.
He said Jurala is the first major project on the Krishna River in Telangana, with a storage capacity of around 6 TMC, and stressed the importance of maintaining adequate water availability for irrigation.
The former minister also raised concerns over the utilisation of Srisailam reservoir water and alleged that Andhra Pradesh was drawing substantial quantities of water through projects linked to the Pothireddypadu head regulator. He demanded that the Telangana government take effective steps through the appropriate rivermanagement authorities to protect the state’s share of Krishna River water.
Highlighting the history of Telangana irrigation projects, Niranjan Reddy said the SLBC project had remained pending for decades, while the BRS government invested heavily in the KLI project and completed major works. He claimed that the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme was constructed with state funds during the previous BRS government to lift water from the Srisailam reservoir and provide irrigation to drought-prone areas.
According to Niranjan Reddy, the present government could have spent a relatively small amount to complete remaining works and fill reservoirs under the Palamuru-Rangareddy project. He alleged that delays were preventing farmers from receiving irrigation benefits and also affecting groundwater levels.
He further claimed that significant quantities of Krishna water were being diverted towards Andhra Pradesh and questioned the Telangana government’s approach to the issue. He criticised the appointment of former Andhra Pradesh officials in advisory roles in Telangana’s irrigation administration, alleging that the government’s policies were not adequately protecting Telangana’s interests.
Niranjan Reddy also raised concerns over the Velugodu project and Nallamala Sagar reservoir, alleging that works were progressing in Andhra Pradesh and warning that Telangana could face further challenges in securing its share of Krishna River water.
He demanded that the Telangana government take the matter before the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and strongly oppose what he described as the unauthorised diversion of Telangana’s water.
Criticising the functioning of the Congress government, Niranjan Reddy questioned whether the administration was effectively coordinating among different departments. He said that if the government was unable to provide irrigation water to farmers, it should clearly explain the situation to the people.
He warned that failure to protect Telangana’s irrigation interests and prevent alleged diversion of Krishna River water would leave a negative mark on the government’s record.Former MLAs Jaipal Yadav, Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy and Gadari Kishore Kumar, along with BRS leader Abhilash Rangineni, participated in the press conference.
