Updated: January 2, 2026

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday announced an inquiry into the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government’s decision to change the source of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) from Jurala to Srisailam backwaters on the Krishna River.

Allegations by the Current Government

• Revanth Reddy accused the previous K. Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS administration of prioritizing commissions over public interest, claiming that the source shift significantly increased project costs and technical complexity.
• He stated that the number of lift stages increased from 3 to 5 and the number of pumps from 22 to 37, driving the project cost from ₹32,000 crore to ₹84,000 crore.
• He also alleged that KCR did not secure cabinet approval for the source change and was avoiding assembly scrutiny.

Water Allocation and Disparities

• Telangana currently draws only 0.25 TMC ft per day, while Andhra Pradesh has infrastructure for 13.37 TMC ft per day.
• The BRS government had obtained permission for 7.15 TMC ft, labeling PRLIS as a drinking water project.
• Revanth Reddy claimed the new government has sought 45 TMC ft and will release funds once statutory clearances are in place.

Alleged Historical Mismanagement

• Revanth Reddy accused KCR of conceding permanent rights over Krishna waters to Andhra Pradesh in earlier agreements, citing 299 TMC allocation to Telangana versus 511 TMC to Andhra Pradesh.
• Telangana is now demanding a 79:21 share based on catchment areas, seeking 555 TMC in total allocation.

BRS Response

• K. T. Rama Rao (BRS working president) countered Revanth Reddy’s claims, asserting that KCR had originally demanded 69% of Krishna waters for Telangana and had written multiple letters to the Centre seeking equitable distribution.

Project Cost and Implementation Concerns

• Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted that the PRLIS, relocated to Srisailam, was a “major blunder”, with only ₹27,000 crore spent during BRS tenure despite claims of 90% project completion.
• The current government has invested ₹7,000 crore in the last two years to progress the project.

Next Steps

• Revanth Reddy’s government will conduct a formal inquiry into the source shift and other alleged mismanagement.
• Telangana is awaiting the Brijesh Kumar Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-2) verdict, expected in approximately eight months, to finalize water allocations.

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