Hyderabad: Former minister and senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao on Friday alleged that the Devadula Lift Irrigation Project remains non-operational despite sufficient water in the Godavari River. He accused the Congress government of ignoring farmers’ needs.
During his inspection of the Devannapeta pump house, he said all three motors were shut. At the same time, nearly 16,000 cusecs of water flowed near Sammakka Sagar. Because of this, farmers in Warangal, Jangaon and Palakurthi did not receive irrigation support.
Last year, around 60,000 acres of crops dried up due to non-operation of pumps, he claimed. According to him, the previous BRS government completed more than 80 percent of the project works. The ayacut expanded to 3.17 lakh acres after spending ₹7,300 crore, he added.
Funding and utilisation concerns raised
Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government has not added a single new acre in the past two-and-a-half years. He also claimed officials delayed the release of ₹8 crore meant for maintenance. Consequently, he estimated crop losses between ₹700 crore and ₹800 crore.
The BRS leader further accused the government of failing to protect Telangana’s share of Krishna and Godavari waters. Instead, he alleged, authorities allowed water to flow to Andhra Pradesh while local farmers struggled. He also cited projects such as Medigadda and Sitarama Sagar, claiming they are not fully utilised.
Beyond irrigation, he criticised delays in Rythu Bandhu assistance and frequent power cuts. Fertiliser shortages, including urea, forced farmers to stand in long queues, he said.
Finally, he demanded that authorities immediately operate all motors under the Devadula Lift Irrigation Project. He urged the government to ensure irrigation for at least 3.5 lakh acres and protect standing crops without delay.
