Congress Claims It Lifted More Godavari Water Than BRS, Whip Aadi Srinivas Says

Hyderabad – In a fairly charged press conference on Saturday, Congress Legislature Party whip Aadi Srinivas tried to set the record straight after the ruling BRS accused the opposition of dumping water into Andhra Pradesh.

According to Srinivas, the numbers speak for themselves. The Devadula lift‑scheme, he said, delivered a total of 86.127 TMC of water between 2014‑15 and 2022‑23 under the BRS‑led administration – roughly 9.57 TMC a year.

By contrast, the Congress‑run government, he claimed, has already pumped about 68 TMC in just the last three years. That includes 18.067 TMC in 2024‑25 and 18.20 TMC in 2025‑26, which works out to an average of 18.13 TMC per annum – a jump of almost 90 % over the previous average.

“We have already lifted 16.71 TMC in the first five months of this financial year,” Srinivas added, pointing to a steady rise in water availability for farmers.

He also highlighted the contribution of the Sitarama Sagar project, which added another 8.10 TMC, taking the total volume drawn downstream of Kaleshwaram to 24.81 TMC. That water, he said, is already being used to irrigate lakhs of acres across Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.

When asked about the capacity of the Devadula scheme, Srinivas explained that the plant houses ten pumping units, each capable of lifting about 0.23 TMC per day if run continuously. “At that rate, it takes roughly four and a half days to pull up one TMC,” he noted, subtly rebutting Minister Harish Rao’s criticism about the quantum of water being lifted.

He further mentioned a temporary diversion near Dummugudem, where sandbags are being used to block the flow and redirect water for drinking‑water purposes. “BRS leaders are welcome to visit and see the arrangements for themselves,” he said.

Lastly, Srinivas warned that the Kaleshwaram project faces its own set of challenges, citing subsidence at the Medigadda barrage and seepage issues that need urgent attention.