The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has charged the Congress‑run Telangana government with jeopardising farmers’ crop hopes under the guise of El Niño, while neighboring Andhra Pradesh siphons water from shared reservoirs to irrigate non‑basin areas. Former minister S. Niranjan Reddy warned that AP’s actions are draining water at the expense of Telangana’s basin.

  • AP has been diverting large volumes of water from Srisailam once levels crossed 854 ft.
  • BRS demands the operation of Kalwakurthy, Palamuru‑Rangareddy and Jurala lifts to secure at least one assured crop.
  • Jurala could receive up to 5,000 cusecs of regenerated water from Karnataka’s Almatti‑Narayanpur projects even without fresh releases.

Background

The Srisailam dam, commissioned in 1979, was originally built for hydro‑electric generation and later repurposed to supply drinking water to Chennai and irrigation for 200,000 acres. Over the decades, Andhra Pradesh’s water‑demand grew, prompting several modifications to the original allocation.

Current Dispute

Former minister S. Niranjan Reddy told a press conference on Monday that Andhra Pradesh has been pulling massive water once the reservoir level reached 875.8 ft, leaving Telangana’s in‑basin areas short‑changed. He highlighted that AP constructed the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator to divert water and later expanded its capacity to funnel Krishna water outside the basin without proper allocation or clearances.

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Political Reaction

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accused the Congress‑led state administration of destroying farmers’ hopes by blaming El Niño, while pointing to AP’s water diversions as the real threat to Telangana’s agriculture.

Historical Context

Srisailam’s primary purpose was power generation; however, by the 1990s it also became a crucial source of drinking water. Repeated inter‑state water disputes have surfaced since 2000, but the scale of AP’s recent withdrawals marks an unprecedented escalation.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that continued over‑extraction by Andhra Pradesh could trigger a severe agrarian crisis in Telangana, potentially influencing the upcoming state elections and reshaping regional water‑sharing agreements.

"If water distribution remains imbalanced, both states’ agrarian economies face significant risk," says water‑management expert Dr. Ajay Singh.
Did You Know?: The original design capacity of Srisailam was 1,770 cusecs, yet today it is being pressured to meet demands exceeding 5,000 cusecs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Does Telangana have alternative water sources to mitigate the shortfall?
A: The state relies on smaller reservoirs and rain‑water harvesting projects, but they cannot match the volume previously supplied by Srisailam.

Q2: Is the central government intervening in the dispute?
A: The centre has proposed a joint committee to review the inter‑state water sharing agreement, but concrete actions are still pending.