Miryalaguda: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, has set September 14 as the deadline for the Telangana government to announce a clear schedule for releasing irrigation water into the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal.
Addressing a Farmers’ Maha Dharna in Miryalaguda on Thursday, KTR warned that he would undertake a padayatra from Kodad to Haliya along with thousands of farmers if the government failed to respond by the deadline.
KTR alleged that farmers dependent on the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal were facing uncertainty over irrigation water despite around 180 TMC of water being available in the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir. He said the delay in releasing water was putting standing crops at risk.
The BRS leader demanded that the Congress government provide a detailed release plan specifying when water would be supplied and how many irrigation turns farmers in the Left Canal command area would receive.
KTR issues September 14 deadline
KTR said the government should announce the water-release schedule before September 14, ahead of Vinayaka Chavithi.
He warned that failure to provide a clear schedule would prompt him to launch a padayatra from Kodad to Haliya with thousands of farmers.
The proposed march would seek to put pressure on the government to release water for irrigation and address the concerns of farmers whose crops depend on the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal.
KTR also directed his criticism towards Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, holding the government responsible for ensuring adequate water reaches farmers dependent on the canal.
Farmers worried about standing crops
The dispute centres on the availability and timing of irrigation water for agricultural land served by the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal.
KTR claimed that farmers were uncertain about when water would reach their fields and how many irrigation turns would be provided during the current agricultural season.
He argued that the uncertainty was particularly serious because standing crops could suffer if irrigation water was not released in time.
According to KTR, around 180 TMC of water was available in the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, making the continued absence of water in the Left Canal a major concern for farmers.
He called for transparency in the release process and asked the government to specify both the timing and quantity of water that would be supplied.
KTR recalls KCR’s 2003 padayatra
KTR invoked the history of farmers’ movements in the region while announcing his proposed march.
He recalled that BRS chief and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had undertaken a padayatra from Kodad to Haliya in 2003 to highlight the problems faced by farmers dependent on the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal.
According to KTR, that earlier movement helped put pressure on the government to respond to farmers’ concerns.
He said he was prepared to follow the same route and revive the spirit of the earlier movement if the government failed to provide the required water-release schedule.
The proposed padayatra would therefore have both an immediate agricultural objective and a strong political significance for the BRS.
BRS attacks Congress government
The water dispute has also become an opportunity for the BRS to step up its criticism of the Congress government in Telangana.
KTR accused the ruling party of failing to fulfil several promises made to farmers during the elections.
He alleged that commitments relating to farm loan waivers, financial assistance and crop bonuses had not been implemented as promised.
The BRS leader argued that the situation in the Nagarjuna Sagar ayacut demonstrated what he described as the government’s failure to adequately protect farmers’ interests.
The Congress government has faced repeated political criticism from the BRS over agricultural and irrigation-related issues, with water management remaining an important issue in Telangana politics.
BRS promises continued agitation
KTR said the BRS would continue its agitation until water was released into the Left Canal and the concerns of farmers were addressed.
The party has positioned the issue as a farmers’ rights campaign, with the proposed padayatra intended to bring large numbers of cultivators together.
The September 14 deadline gives the government a specific period to respond to the demand.
If no schedule is announced by then, KTR has said he will personally lead the march from Kodad to Haliya with thousands of farmers.
The proposed action could further intensify political activity in the Nagarjuna Sagar command area, particularly if farmers continue to express concern over their crops and irrigation requirements.
Water availability becomes political flashpoint
The disagreement comes against the backdrop of Telangana’s continuing dependence on irrigation projects and river water for agriculture.
Nagarjuna Sagar is one of the State’s major irrigation projects, and the Left Canal serves a large agricultural command area.
For farmers, the timing of water releases can be as important as the overall availability of water. Delays can affect crop growth and create uncertainty over agricultural planning.
KTR has therefore demanded not merely an assurance that water will be released, but a detailed schedule indicating when farmers can expect supplies and how many irrigation turns will be available.
Such a schedule, he argued, would provide farmers with greater certainty while allowing them to plan their agricultural activities.
Government response will be closely watched
The Telangana government’s response to KTR’s September 14 deadline is likely to determine the next stage of the dispute.
If the government announces a clear schedule, the proposed padayatra could potentially be avoided. If it fails to respond to the BRS demand, KTR has already indicated that he will proceed with the farmers’ march.
The issue is consequently emerging as a fresh political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS, with irrigation water at the centre of the dispute.
For farmers in the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal command area, however, the immediate concern remains access to water for their standing crops.
As the September 14 deadline approaches, attention will remain focused on whether the government announces a release plan and addresses the uncertainty surrounding irrigation supplies.
For KTR and the BRS, the issue represents an opportunity to mobilise farmers around a long-standing regional concern. For the government, providing clarity on water availability and release schedules could be crucial to preventing the dispute from developing into a larger agitation.
