India News | BRS MLAs to Protest at Telangana CM’s Residence if Water Crisis Persists in Hyderabad
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. According to a press release, BRS MLAs Devireddy Sudheer Reddy, Madhavaram Krishna Rao, KP Vivekanand Goud, Marri Rajashekar Reddy and Bandari Laxma Reddy, along with former minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and former MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, visited the Kannepalli pump house, which forms part of the Kaleshwaram project.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 24 (ANI): BRS legislators from Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts said that they, along with the people of Hyderabad, would stage a protest at the residence of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy if the State government failed to lift water from the Kannepalli pump house and take immediate steps to avert the looming drinking water crisis in the city.
According to a press release, BRS MLAs Devireddy Sudheer Reddy, Madhavaram Krishna Rao, KP Vivekanand Goud, Marri Rajashekar Reddy and Bandari Laxma Reddy, along with former minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and former MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, visited the Kannepalli pump house, which forms part of the Kaleshwaram project.
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The delegation sought to draw attention to the large quantities of Godavari water flowing downstream and eventually into the sea, even as Hyderabad faces growing concerns over drinking water supplies. The BRS leaders said that the Congress government was failing to utilise the available water by operating the pumps at Kannepalli, thereby aggravating the city's water crisis.
According to estimates cited by the delegation, more than 750 TMC of Godavari water had flown into the sea since June. The leaders argued that lifting even around 250 TMC could have helped replenish reservoirs and tanks, improve groundwater levels and meet Hyderabad's drinking water needs.
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Addressing a press conference at Kannepalli after the visit, MLA KP Vivekanand Goud said that BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) had visited the site in July, demonstrated how water was going to waste and cautioned the government about the possible impact of El Niño and the impending water crisis, the release said.
“Instead of addressing these concerns, Revanth Reddy threatened to give a belt treatment to the engineers who suggested lifting water. Now, it is the people who will give a belt treatment to Revanth,” he said.
Vivekanand Goud alleged that the Chief Minister had woken up to the gravity of the situation only after nearly 800 TMC of water had reportedly flowed into the sea. He maintained that just 10 TMC of water would be sufficient to meet Hyderabad's drinking water requirements for a year and urged the government to immediately resume water lifting from Kannepalli to ease the crisis.
MLA Marri Rajashekar Reddy said residents in his constituency and several other parts of Hyderabad were complaining about irregular water supply and low pressure.
“People in our constituencies are complaining that they receive water only once every three days, and even then, the pressure is low. Water Board officials say that the Singur and Manjeera reservoirs are drying up. We came here to ascertain the facts about water availability,” he said.
The release stated that he alleged that the Congress government's negligence had contributed to the prevailing drought-like situation and argued that Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana could have been better protected from the crisis if the government had ensured adequate water storage in reservoirs.
MLA D. Sudheer Reddy criticised the government over its failure to address concerns regarding the Medigadda barrage, including the suspected blast targeting its piers.
“There has been no action on the complaint regarding the suspected blast targeting the piers of the Medigadda barrage, even after three years, and no repair work has been undertaken either. Revanth is betraying Telangana to justify his false propaganda against the Kaleshwaram project,” he alleged.
Sudheer Reddy also pointed to the growing dependence on water tankers in Hyderabad, stating that around 7,000 tanker bookings were being made in October. He said the situation was reminiscent of the peak summer months and reflected the seriousness of the city's water shortage.
Former minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao accused Revanth Reddy of deliberately undermining the Kaleshwaram project and failing to address the emerging water crisis despite having the means to do so.
“Revanth is not resolving the crisis despite having the opportunity to do so, and he is damaging Hyderabad in the process. Our MLAs have come here to urge the government to act. At least now, the government should take steps to lift water,” he said.
Questioning the Chief Minister's ability to continue in office if he could not resolve the crisis, Errabelli recalled how former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had ensured the availability of water, power and other essential services even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the release said.
Former MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy also launched a sharp attack on Revanth Reddy, alleging that his diversionary politics would not shield the government from criticism over its alleged inefficiency. He said the Chief Minister had lost the moral right to govern and demanded that the government immediately begin lifting water from Kannepalli, warning that valuable Godavari water was continuing to flow into the sea while Hyderabad faced the prospect of a drinking water crisis. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)