BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Thursday set September 14 as a deadline for the Telangana government to announce a clear schedule for releasing irrigation water into the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal, warning that he would undertake a padayatra from Kodad to Haliya with thousands of farmers if the demand was not met.
Addressing a Farmers' Maha Dharna in Miryalaguda on Thursday, KTR alleged that farmers dependent on the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal were facing uncertainty over irrigation water despite around 180 TMC of water being available in the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir.
He said the delay in releasing water was putting standing crops at risk.
KTR demanded that the Congress government issue a detailed release plan specifying when water would be supplied and how many irrigation turns would be provided to farmers in the Left Canal command area.
"I am issuing a direct warning to the State Government, the Congress Government, and particularly to the Irrigation Minister, the Minister for this district, Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is responsible for providing water under the left canal," KTR said.
He further announced "If you do not release a schedule for water supply by September 14th, ahead of Vinayaka Chavithi, I will personally undertake a padyatra from Kodad to Halia along with thousands of farmers."
KTR further demanded that the government should immediately respond with a schedule detailing the number of phases in which water would be supplied and the timing of the releases.
KTR recalled a similar farmers' movement undertaken by BRS chief and his father K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) in 2003, when he travelled from Kodad to Haliya to highlight the problems of farmers dependent on the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal.
KTR said the earlier movement had put pressure on the government to address farmers' water-related concerns.
"With the same spirit, I will undertake another padayatra against the anti-farmer policies of the Congress government," KTR said.
He claimed that the Nagarjuna Sagar ayacut, which he said had witnessed substantial agricultural growth during the BRS government, was now facing a serious crisis, with farmers uncertain about the availability of water for their crops and the number of irrigation turns they would receive.
KTR also targeted the Congress government over its election promises to farmers. He alleged that assurances relating to farm loan waivers, financial assistance and crop bonuses had not been implemented as promised.
The BRS leader said his party would continue its agitation until water was released into the Left Canal and the interests of farmers were protected.
