Telangana’s drought preparedness has come under political attack, with senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao accusing the Congress government of failing to protect drinking-water supplies, support farmers and create alternate employment for farm workers facing difficult conditions.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Harish Rao also alleged that water from Sigur dam, which he said could sustain Hyderabad, was being supplied to beer companies. He questioned whether drinking water or liquor manufacturing was being treated as the government’s priority. The allegation was not independently established in the report, and no response from the state government or the companies was included.
Harish Rao criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for travelling to Delhi for political activities while Telangana was facing drought conditions. He alleged that the government had shown “utter indifference” to the situation and had not prepared alternate employment avenues for farmers and agricultural workers who could lose income as water shortages affect cultivation.
The BRS leader also questioned the government’s handling of a meeting involving Rythu Vedikas, platforms intended for engagement with farmers. According to him, the meeting was initially scheduled for 11 am, with the Chief Minister expected to address participants. It was then described as cancelled before being rescheduled for 1 pm, he said. The proposed speaker reportedly changed from the Deputy Chief Minister to the Chief Secretary and then to the agriculture minister.
The sequence, Harish Rao said, reflected confusion in the Congress government’s response to drought and the El Nino impact. He referred to comments by minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy that the Chief Minister would chair a Cabinet meeting to discuss El Nino and drought, and asked what had happened to that meeting.
The dispute has implications beyond farm relief. Hyderabad’s water security depends on the management and allocation of reservoirs and other sources serving the city. Any diversion of water from sources described as important for urban supply would raise questions about competing demands from households, agriculture and industry. The supplied report, however, does not provide operational figures, details of the allocation decision or an official explanation of the Sigur claim.
Harish Rao also questioned the government’s treatment of farmers in relation to water releases from Jurala. He said farmers had faced non-bailable cases after releasing water from the project, while asking why similar action was not being considered over the alleged diversion of drinking and irrigation water for beer production.
He called for cases against the Chief Minister and other government officials over what he described as inadequate preparation for the El Nino impact and neglect of drought conditions. The report does not state whether any complaint was filed, whether a Cabinet decision was taken or what immediate drought-relief measures the government has announced.
The next key developments are the state government’s response to the allegations, any decisions emerging from a Cabinet discussion on drought and El Nino, and clarification of how water from Sigur dam is being allocated among drinking-water, irrigation and industrial users.
