Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra has questioned the reported release of about two TMC of water from the Narayanpur Reservoir to Telangana, arguing that the decision requires public disclosure while parts of Karnataka face shortages of drinking water, fodder and water for agriculture.
Speaking at a press conference in Vijayapura on Friday, Vijayendra said information had emerged that the process of releasing water to Telangana had begun. He asked the Karnataka government to clarify who authorised the release and the basis on which the water was being supplied.
Vijayendra alleged that Karnataka’s interests were being overlooked because Telangana also has a Congress government and questioned whether political or personal ties between leaders were influencing the decision. The allegation was made at a political press conference and was not accompanied in the report by a government order, reservoir data or a statement from the Karnataka Water Resources Department.
The BJP leader said people and livestock in several parts of Karnataka were facing shortages of drinking water and fodder. He called for transparent information on the release and urged the government to ensure that the interests of farmers were not affected.
The dispute places the Narayanpur Reservoir within a broader question of how Karnataka manages water during periods of local scarcity. Any release from a major reservoir has implications not only for irrigation but also for drinking-water planning, livestock needs and the administration of drought relief. The report, however, does not provide the reservoir’s current storage level, the release schedule, the receiving area’s requirement or the legal and inter-state framework cited for the decision.
Vijayendra also accused the Congress government of creating a climate of intimidation by filing first information reports against BJP workers who submitted Form 7 applications under the Election Commission’s rules. He referred to a case in which a court stay had reportedly been obtained and demanded that cases targeting BJP workers be stopped. These allegations were separate from the water-release issue and were made without a response from the state government in the supplied report.
The BJP leader further sought a farm-loan waiver, compensation of ₹50,000 per hectare for crop losses and eight hours of three-phase electricity each day for agricultural activity. He also demanded that pending dairy incentives announced during former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s tenure be released and that milk producers receive an additional ₹5 per litre for at least five months until the drought ends.
Vijayendra said farmers were facing crop losses, debt and water shortages, and urged the government to respond to reports of farmer suicides. He also criticised the government’s performance on development and recruitment, claiming that a promise to fill 2.5 lakh vacant government posts had not been met. The supplied report does not include a response from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar or the departments responsible for water management and drought relief.
The Karnataka government is yet to publicly explain, in the supplied account, the authority, quantity, timing and conditions of the reported Narayanpur water release. Those details will determine how the decision affects local water availability and whether the release is part of an approved inter-state arrangement.
