BRS steps up attack on drinking water crisis in Telangana

BRS working president alleged that Telangana is witnessing water crisis because of the inefficiency of Congress Government.

Stepping up its attack on the Congress Government, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao has alleged that the ‘water war’ has begun in Telangana under the present regime.

Continuing to target the Congress Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and the party, Mr. Rama Rao at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Hyderabad on Wednesday said: “The Chief Minister is crying hoarse on drought situation. However, the reality is that women are on the roads with empty pots to get drinking water.”

The BRS working president said while the previous Government focused on ensuring drinking water and irrigation sources, the present Congress regime is more interested in wooing leaders of other political parties in its fold. “The BRS government had ensured that right from hamlets (tandas) to Hyderabad City, there was never a day when water was not supplied to the people,” he said.

Treating provision of potable drinking water as a human rights, the previous regime had taken up Mission Bhagiratha by spending ₹38,000 crore and saw to it that for the next 50 years, there was no water scarcity in the Twin Cities. The Congress Government is unable to provide proper drinking water to the people, Mr. Rama Rao said adding that no sooner K. Chandrasekhar Rao stepped down as the CM, water tankers have made a big comeback.

In a sarcastic tone, Mr. Rama Rao said presently the State is witnessing investors,generators and now water tankers. The water tanker operators are charging three times the normal rates, he alleged. “This is not natural drinking water scarcity but a situation brought in by the inefficient Congress party,” he lamented.

He wondered when the State had recorded 14 percent excess rainfall, where is the question of water crisis. “There is water stored in irrigation projects but the Government does not want to use it to protect the withering standing crops. Instead of opening gates to encourage defections, it will be sensible to lift gates to provide irrigation sources to the standing crops,” he noted.

Mr. Rama Rao pointed out that instead of focussing its energy on phone tapping, it would be better to tap water resources. He wondered when there was sufficient water in Nagarjunasagar, Yellampally, Himayatsagar and Osmansagar, where was the need for people to book water tankers. He demanded the Chief Minister to answer why people should suffer for want of drinking water.