Telangana BRS leader T Harish Rao has accused the Congress government of creating an “artificial drought” by failing to operate irrigation pumps and maintain adequate power generation, alleging that farmers are facing water shortages and crop losses despite water being available in major river systems.
Speaking at a public meeting at the Government Degree College grounds in Siddipet during celebrations marking 10 years of Siddipet district, Rao demanded an apology from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. He said the situation was not caused by a natural drought but by failures in power supply and irrigation management.
Rao alleged that inadequate coal stocks had affected power generation at thermal power plants, reducing the government’s ability to meet farmers’ electricity requirements. He also questioned why irrigation pumps linked to the Kaleshwaram, Kalwakurthy and Devadula projects were not being operated for 24 hours a day.
According to Rao, pumps at Devadula were being operated for only eight hours daily, affecting farmers in parts of Warangal and Siddipet districts. He also questioned the operation of Kalwakurthy pumps for eight hours despite water being available at Srisailam. Rao further alleged that Ranganayaka Sagar was not being filled to its full capacity even though Godavari water was available.
The BRS deputy floor leader also referred to the transfer of Krishna water towards Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh and questioned why farmers in the nearby Palamuru region were not receiving adequate irrigation. The supplied report did not include a response from the Telangana government to the allegations.
Rao linked the irrigation concerns to wider questions about the maintenance and operation of large water infrastructure, where electricity availability, pump scheduling and reservoir management directly affect farm access to water. His remarks focused on operational decisions rather than the construction of new irrigation assets.
At the same meeting, Rao described the formation of Siddipet district as a major administrative benefit for residents. He said people from Nanganur, Chinnakodur, Doulthabad, Thoguta, Husnabad, Cherial, Kondapak, Wargal and Dubbak had earlier travelled long distances to Sangareddy for basic administrative services. The district’s formation, he said, brought administration closer to residents and supported the creation of new mandals and gram panchayats.
Rao also said the previous BRS government had established an IT Tower in Siddipet to create technology-sector employment opportunities for local youth without requiring them to migrate to other cities. He alleged that the Congress government had instead cancelled or left incomplete several projects, including an SC residential degree college, a sports stadium and tourism initiatives.
He also accused the government of failing to maintain roads and buildings developed during the previous administration, pointing to unfinished structures as evidence of stalled work. The allegations were made during the three-day celebrations marking a decade of Siddipet district, with Rao thanking residents and public representatives who had supported its formation.
