Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday rejected BRS allegations of water diversion from Telangana’s Krishna and Godavari rivers to Andhra Pradesh. He accused the opposition party of spreading false claims and using drought conditions to gain political mileage.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Suryapet district, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the BRS leadership was exploiting farmers’ distress instead of supporting them. He attributed the prevailing water stress and drought-like conditions to the El Niño phenomenon. Meanwhile, he maintained that Telangana had used more water from both rivers under the Congress government than during the previous BRS regime.
The minister made the remarks after inspecting development works in the district. Nalgonda MP Raghuveer Reddy, Kodad MLA N. Padmavathy Reddy and District Collector Tejas Nandlal Pawar accompanied him. The team visited lift irrigation project sites and the construction site of the Young India Integrated Residential School.
Uttam Kumar Reddy described the allegations of water diversion as baseless. He said Telangana recorded higher utilisation of Krishna and Godavari waters after the Congress government assumed office on December 7, 2023.
He also cited agricultural performance during the period. According to the minister, the state recorded higher agricultural acreage, paddy yield and grain procurement alongside increased water utilisation. He used these figures to counter the opposition’s claims.
Minister links water use to agricultural performance
Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that BRS leaders were deliberately using the current water stress to target the government. He said the opposition should stand with farmers facing drought-like conditions rather than spread what he described as misinformation.
The minister’s remarks came during his inspection of ongoing irrigation and educational infrastructure works in Suryapet district. However, the source did not provide project-wise details or utilisation figures to support the competing claims over river water.
