Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader T Harish Rao on Monday, July 13, accused the Congress government of deliberately weakening Telangana’s legal fight against the Godavari-Banakacherla project, alleging that the Supreme Court’s recent observations had exposed the state government’s negligence and lack of sincerity in protecting Telangana’s water rights.
Addressing a press conference in Sangareddy, the former minister and BRS deputy floor leader alleged that while Andhra Pradesh was aggressively pursuing the Banakacherla project, the Telangana government was indirectly facilitating it instead of resisting it.
Harish Rao said the Supreme Court had dismissed the state government’s suit in the matter and made serious observations about the manner in which it had been filed, questioning how the government could have submitted such a defective suit in a case involving Telangana’s water rights.
“The Supreme Court itself observed that the suit was not properly drafted. Such a weak case could not have been filed without the knowledge and approval of the Chief Minister,” he alleged, questioning the role of the Advocate General and the government’s legal team in failing to present a legally sustainable case despite having several months to prepare.
Alleging that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was more focused on attacking the BRS than on protecting Telangana’s interests, Harish Rao recalled that the government’s earlier writ petition on the issue had also been dismissed by the Supreme Court. He said tenders for the Godavari-Nallamala Sagar project were finalised on December 11, 2025, while the state government moved court only on December 16 that year, by which time the process had advanced significantly, and that even after seven months, the government had failed to file a strong legal challenge.
Telangana government helping Andhra Pradesh: Harish Rao
Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government had extended indirect support to Andhra Pradesh in implementing the Banakacherla project, and that it took repeated warnings and sustained pressure from the BRS before the government issued backdated letters on the matter. He further alleged an understanding between the state government and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, saying the Telangana government’s approach appeared designed to create an impression of opposing the project while ensuring it was not actually stopped.
He questioned why Telangana constituted its own committee on the issue only on December 23, 2025, days after Andhra Pradesh had formed a similar committee on December 15. He also criticised the government’s appointment of irrigation expert Adityanath Das as an advisor, alleging that his past recommendations had worked against Telangana’s interests, and demanded that the government disclose details of irrigation officials’ meetings held in Delhi as well as what transpired at a recent meeting of three chief ministers in Karnataka.
Harish Rao says Palamuru allocation ‘needs no NOC’
On the Palamuru Lift Irrigation Scheme, Harish Rao alleged that the government was attempting to bargain away Telangana’s water rights in the name of securing a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the project, asserting that the state’s 90 TMC allocation was its legitimate right and required no fresh approval. He warned that permitting the Polavaram interlinking project would adversely affect Telangana’s long-term water security.
Harish Rao accused the government of failing to fully utilise the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme despite adequate water availability, saying only six of its 10 pumps were operational and that they had been switched on only after repeated pressure from the BRS. He also questioned why water was not being lifted from Kannapalli despite favourable levels.
The Devadula project, he said, began during the Telugu Desam Party’s tenure but remained stalled for years following a 2011 accident, before the BRS government re-engineered it, completed its third phase and expanded irrigation coverage from 46,000 acre under the Congress to nearly 3 lakh acre during the BRS regime.
He said the BRS government had also completed land acquisition for nearly 30,000 acre for the project, while the current government had failed to acquire the remaining 3,000 acre, and credited the Sammakka Barrage, built during the BRS government, as the reason the project continued to receive water today.
He called on the Congress government to stop compromising Telangana’s interests and act decisively to protect the state’s rightful share of river waters.
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