KCR Warns of a ‘Water War’ Over Kaleshwaram, Accuses Congress of Plotting Against Telangana’s Irrigation

In a fiery address to BRS legislators on Sunday, Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao – popularly known as KCR – accused the ruling Congress‑led state government of conspiring to starve the state’s farms of water. He singled out the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, describing it as the lifeline of Telangana, and said that deliberate delays were being engineered to keep water off the fields.

“We fought a long, hard battle for a separate state, largely to secure irrigation and drinking water for our people,” KCR said, pausing briefly before adding, “Now we see the very water we fought for being held back.” He pointed to a recent statement by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) that, in his view, debunked the propaganda surrounding Kaleshwaram.

The chief minister also lamented the state of the Palamuru‑Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, a project that was almost complete during his previous term. “It’s a house that’s built but the kitchen stove never gets lit,” he quipped, underscoring how farmers in the Nalgonda and Palamuru‑Rangareddy districts are still waiting for water despite nearby reservoirs like Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam being reportedly full.

Calling the situation an injustice, KCR urged his MLAs and MLCs to gear up for a “water war.” He promised to meet senior party leaders soon to sketch out a public‑action programme that could mobilise “lakhs of people” if the government continued to ignore the irrigation needs of the state.

The meeting, held in Erravelli, also covered strategy for the upcoming assembly session, which starts Monday. KCR instructed his legislators to challenge the Congress government on several fronts: failure to honour its 100‑day promises, neglect of drinking‑water initiatives like Mission Bhagiratha, and a perceived weakening of the fee‑reimbursement scheme that helps poorer students pursue higher education.

He didn’t stop at water. The chief minister slammed the government’s alleged move to list patta lands under Section 22A, a step that makes it difficult for owners to sell land even in emergencies, and he warned that the government’s new GO 97 could damage polytechnic institutions that equip youths with vocational skills.

“If they keep pulling the rug from under our farmers, I will personally announce a large‑scale action programme,” KCR warned, hinting at a possible state‑wide protest. He concluded by praising recent BRS protests against the Congress’ “1000‑day tenure” and urging party workers to stay vigilant, saying the fight for water is, in his words, “the fight for Telangana’s very survival.”