A political exchange has intensified in Telangana over water availability and storage levels at the Priyadarshini Jurala Project, with ruling Congress ministers and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders trading allegations. Farmers in the Jurala ayacut (command area) have been demanding the release of irrigation water for standing paddy crops amid concerns over low inflows linked to the El Niño effect.
Congress Ministers’ Stand
Ministers Vakiti Srihari and Jupally Krishna Rao accused the BRS of politicising the water shortage and provoking farmers despite being aware of the actual storage position at Jurala.
According to the ministers:
Approximately 2.5 TMC ft is lost to silt.
Around 3 TMC ft constitutes dead storage that cannot be utilised.
Another 2.5 TMC ft must be reserved for drinking water needs.
They argued that releasing all available water at once could create drinking water problems in the coming months. The ministers blamed the previous BRS government’s management of Krishna river waters and incomplete irrigation projects in the Palamuru region for the current constraints. They claimed the present government has improved Telangana’s utilisation of its Krishna water share and is making efforts to protect standing crops while coordinating with Karnataka for additional releases.
BRS Response and Allegations
BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and senior leader T. Harish Rao strongly criticised the Congress government, alleging that it was denying irrigation water to farmers under a project built on assured waters while water was being diverted elsewhere.
KTR warned of further agitation if water was not released and demanded the operation of pump houses at Kannepalli and Narlapur. He claimed that out of significant inflows into Krishna basin projects this year, Telangana had utilised only a small portion. BRS leaders also questioned why water was reaching distant areas in Andhra Pradesh while neighbouring Palamuru farmers faced shortages.
Protests by farmers and BRS workers near the Jurala project earlier in the week led to police intervention, including detentions and a mild lathi-charge, further escalating tensions.
Government Efforts
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has reportedly spoken to his Karnataka counterpart seeking the release of additional water from the Narayanpur reservoir to ease the situation at Jurala. The government maintains that decisions on water release are being guided by scientific assessment of storage, inflows, evaporation and drinking water priorities.
The Jurala issue has become a flashpoint, reflecting broader debates over Krishna water sharing, inter-state coordination and the management of irrigation infrastructure in Telangana. Farmers continue to urge authorities to prioritise the protection of standing crops as the political debate continues.