Harish Rao Urges Immediate Action on Medigadda Repairs as Drought Looms

Hyderabad: The need for swift repairs to Medigadda has taken on new urgency as concerns mount over possible drought conditions in Telangana next year. Former minister T Harish Rao, deputy floor leader of the BRS, raised the alarm on Saturday during a media interaction at his Siddipet office, pointing to potential El Niño-driven weather disruptions as a key reason for immediate action.

Harish Rao levelled sharp criticism at the Congress administration, asserting that it has sidelined Telangana's irrigation infrastructure in favour of other priorities. The two damaged pillars at Medigadda remain unrepaired, he noted, even as drought risks escalate. Without timely intervention, both irrigation systems and drinking water availability could face serious disruption, he warned.

The former minister took particular aim at recent visits by Congress ministers to Tummidihatti, describing the activity as emblematic of a government more focused on optics than substantive work. "Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his cabinet colleagues are delivering speeches without delivering results on the ground," Harish Rao remarked.

He further contended that the government's emphasis on Tummidihatti amounts to political theatre designed to undermine the BRS, when the administration should instead be preparing preventive measures ahead of worsening drought conditions.

Contradictions and Unfounded Claims

Harish Rao challenged statements made by Congress Minister Vivek regarding a 150-metre barrage at Tummidihatti. Vivek had claimed that an agreement for this structure had been finalized during the Congress tenure, but Harish Rao questioned this account. "If such an agreement truly existed, why wasn't even basic groundwork initiated during seven-and-a-half years of the undivided Andhra Pradesh Congress government?" he asked.

The opposition leader also highlighted the lack of progress under the current dispensation. If project details were genuinely settled, he wondered, why has construction remained stalled for 30 months since the Congress government took office?

Harish Rao referenced a historical intervention by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who had written to then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy opposing unilateral project work without formal interstate agreement, cautioning that such moves would prove counterproductive.

Conflicting narratives from Congress leaders have added to the confusion, Harish Rao observed. While BRS MLA Jupally Krishna Rao suggested water would flow to Yellampalli by gravity from Tummidihatti, Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy proposed routing it to Sundilla Barrage. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, meanwhile, indicated water would be lifted from Tummidihatti to Yellampalli. "These contradictory statements bring shame to Telangana," Harish Rao stated.

He stressed that interstate water matters demand serious dialogue and collaborative frameworks, not public posturing and political statements masquerading as policy.

A Warning on Kaleshwaram

In a pointed remark, Harish Rao cautioned the government against disrespecting the Kaleshwaram project. "Insulting Kaleshwaram invites divine retribution. Exercise caution," he said, invoking religious symbolism tied to the irrigation scheme.

Harish Rao concluded by demanding that the Congress government abandon what he termed "theatrical politics" surrounding Tummidihatti and prioritize Medigadda repairs. Such work, he stressed, is essential for safeguarding irrigation capacity and water access for Telangana's farming communities.