Rayalaseema forum demands A.P. government address Telangana CM’s water claims

The Rayalaseema Intellectuals Forum on Sunday (January 04, 2026) urged the Andhra Pradesh government to respond firmly to the recent statements made by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy regarding the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project and to safeguard the region’s water rights.

In a statement issued here, Forum Convenor Makireddy Purushottam Reddy said that the Telangana Chief Minister’s claim on the floor of the Assembly that he had ensured the suspension of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project was objectionable and amounted to an attack on the legitimate water rights of Rayalaseema. He demanded an official response from the A.P. government to prevent further erosion of the State’s rights.

He said that Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation is a necessity and a rightful entitlement of the drought-prone region. The Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers flow through Rayalaseema, and projects such as HLC, LLC, SRBC, Gundrevula, and Byravanathippa, together, have sanctioned allocations of 133.5 TMC. Due to reduced flood days and siltation at the Srisailam reservoir, lifting water from upstream has become essential, he said.

Taking into account the changed hydrological conditions, former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had conceptualised the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project to supply up to three TMC of water per day from the 800-foot level of Srisailam to meet the needs of major Rayalaseema projects, including the crucial Pothireddypadu head regulator, the Forum said.

Mr. Purushottam Reddy strongly objected to Telangana’s arguments on revisiting Krishna water allocations based on catchment area, calling them legally untenable. Under the Bachawat Tribunal, Andhra Pradesh is entitled to 512 TMC, while Telangana has 299 TMC, and surplus and flood waters legally belong to the downstream State, it said.

Warning that even the loss of a single TMC would severely harm Rayalaseema, Mr. Purushottam Reddy urged the A.P. government to pursue an effective legal battle in the Supreme Court and issue a clear rebuttal to the Telangana Chief Minister’s remarks.