Hyderabad: Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday issued a strong rebuttal to BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao’s criticism regarding the non-operation of Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) pumps, asserting that the government will activate the motors in line with established timelines and technical assessments.
Responding to Harish Rao’s allegation that the state was failing farmers by not operating the pumps despite inflows into Srisailam, Uttam said, “We know exactly when to turn on the motors. Every year, they are typically activated in the last week of July or on August 1. Harish Rao is deliberately spreading misinformation.”
He reminded that in previous years the pumps were switched on on August 1 (2019), August 31 (2020), August 15 (2021), July 13 (2022), and August 6 (2023). “Last year, we switched on the pumps on July 27. This year will be no different,” he said, adding that the final decision will be taken based on water availability and crop needs in the upcoming State-Level Committee for Integrated Water Planning and Management (SCIWPM) meeting on July 11.
The minister also dismissed Harish Rao’s claims regarding the Kannepalli pump house, calling them misleading. “Harish Rao is attempting to create panic among farmers. We urge farmers not to worry—this is a routine procedure.”
Uttam went on to accuse the previous BRS government of engineering failures, citing the collapse of the Medigadda barrage. “Due to substandard construction under BRS, the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has declared Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla unsafe. The damage to these barrages is a direct result of their negligence.”
The minister also accused BRS leaders of trying to deflect from their failures by politicising routine irrigation operations. “Instead of apologizing for the structural failures and corruption in irrigation projects, they are trying to mislead farmers.”
Earlier, Harish Rao had alleged that the Congress government was ignoring farmers’ needs, claiming the motors should have been switched on weeks ago. He warned that if the government continued to delay action, farmers would be forced to take matters into their own hands and operate the pump house themselves.