Krishna River projects: Revanth Reddy sets deadline

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has set a deadline of June 2027 for the completion of all pending irrigation projects on the Krishna river.

At a review meeting held on Wednesday, the Chief Minister directed the Finance Department to ensure that there are no funding issues for key projects in the Krishna basin. He also instructed officials to speed up land acquisition and asked special officers to work closely with the Revenue Department.

Revanth Reddy reviewed the status of incomplete works and the funds required for their completion. He urged the Irrigation Department to make stronger efforts to secure Telangana’s fair share of Krishna river water.

He stressed that Telangana’s interests must be protected, especially since 70% of the Krishna river’s catchment area lies in Telangana, while only 30% is in Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, Telangana should demand a 70% share of the water before the Tribunal, he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that Andhra Pradesh is already drawing 90 TMC of water from the Godavari basin for the Pattiseema project. He said Telangana’s share should be adjusted accordingly and the issue should be raised with the Krishna River Management Board.

He advised officials to make strong arguments regarding water allocations for all projects that were under construction at the time of Telangana’s formation. He also said that approvals for water usage in projects like Palamuru-Rangareddy should follow the original orders.

Revanth Reddy instructed the Irrigation Department to treat pending projects as a top priority and to set specific deadlines for each one. He also asked for quicker completion of projects that involve lower costs.