In Clash Over Telangana Irrigation Project, A Drought Warning, And Blame Game

The politics over Telangana's most controversial but significant Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme has intensified, with the BRS and Congress trading charges.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) has demanded that the Congress government immediately begin lifting Godavari waters from the Kannepalli Pump House, while the Congress blamed the BRS for misleading farmers and ignoring serious structural concerns flagged by expert agencies.

On Sunday, the political drama began with the police stopping KTR's convoy at Pemberthi in Jangaon district while he was travelling to inspect the Kannepalli Pump House. An angry KTR got down on the Warangal-Hyderabad National Highway, questioned the police action and accused the government of trying to silence the Opposition.

"Is highlighting farmers' problems a crime? Who instructed the police to stop us?" he asked, warning that he would stage a road protest if the convoy was not allowed to move.

BRS workers surrounded KTR in a protective ring before the convoy continued amid heavy police deployment. Later, after a confrontation and heated exchange with police authorities, only KTR's vehicle was allowed to proceed. The remaining convoy that had several former ministers, party MLAs, MLCs, and senior leaders was halted.

KTR claimed Telangana was heading towards a serious drought due to El Nino conditions, deficient rainfall, and what he described as the Congress government's "complete negligence."

"Twenty-six of Telangana's 33 districts are already facing drought-like conditions. Lakhs of cusecs of Godavari water are flowing into the sea while the government is refusing to use the existing infrastructure," he said.

Demanding immediate operation of the pumps, KTR said, "Switch on the Bahubali pumps. Fill the reservoirs and save farmers. If the motors are started today, reservoirs across Telangana can be filled within a week."

Alleging political vendetta, KTR said the Congress government was deliberately keeping the project idle to discredit former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). "Kaleshwaram is a boon for Telangana. (Chief Minister) Revanth Reddy is treating it as 'Shaneshwaram' and punishing farmers because of his hatred towards KCR," he alleged.

Warning of a statewide agitation, he said the BRS would not remain silent if the pumps continued to remain idle. "If the government does not switch on the pumps immediately, we will march to Kannepalli with 50,000 to 60,000 people, lay siege to the pump house, and ensure the motors are started," he declared.

However, the Congress government has rejected the allegations made by the opposition party.

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the BRS was spreading misinformation and insisted that the issue was one of engineering safety, not politics.

He said the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) had identified serious structural deficiencies in the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages and had advised against operating them until scientific restoration is completed. "Public safety is non-negotiable. We will not risk lives by operating the barrages without expert clearance," he said.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy also hit back, alleging that the BRS had built Kaleshwaram "for commissions, not for farmers." He questioned why the project required extensive repairs if it had been constructed to proper standards and accused the BRS of attempting to divert attention from allegations of poor construction and corruption.

The Kaleshwaram project has remained Telangana's biggest political flashpoint. Structural distress was reported at the Medigadda barrage in 2023. During its assembly poll campaign soon after, Congress had promised a judicial probe by a sitting high court judge into alleged corruption, irregularities, and technical failures in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

The BRS has denied all allegations. It maintains that the project can be restored quickly and accuses the Congress of delaying repairs for political reasons.

The Congress says expert reports have found major structural defects and that operations can resume only after scientific rehabilitation and statutory safety approvals. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had also moved to seek a CBI probe into the alleged Kaleshwaram irregularities in late April 2026.