BRS Leader Demands Full Operation of Devadula Pump House to Save Farmers
Senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader T Harish Rao has issued a stern demand to the Telangana state government, calling for the immediate operation of the Devadula pump house motors at full capacity. He insists that measures must be taken to supply water to at least 3.5 lakh acres to protect farmers from severe hardship.
Allegations of Deliberate Negligence Against Congress Government
Harish Rao, who served as irrigation minister previously, has accused the Congress government of intentionally halting water lifting from the Devadula project. This action, he claims, is causing significant distress to farmers in Warangal district, despite adequate water flow in the Godavari river.
After conducting an inspection of the Devannapeta pump house, which is part of the Devadula lift irrigation project, on Friday, Rao revealed that all three motors were shut down. He emphasized that sufficient water was available in the river, with nearly 16,000 cusecs flowing near the Sammakka Sagar barrage, yet the government failed to utilize it for irrigation purposes.
Broken Promises and Historical Failures
Rao recalled that on March 18, 2025, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy had publicly announced that the motors would be switched on. However, he left the site without ensuring the pumps actually started functioning. This pattern of neglect, according to Rao, led to crops drying up in nearly 60,000 acres last year due to non-operation of the pumps.
For the past ten days, water lifting has once again ceased, severely affecting irrigation in key constituencies including Jangaon, Palakurthi, and Station Ghanpur. Additionally, Rao noted that the Gandiramaram lift has stopped due to a lack of water, compounding the crisis.
Excuses Versus Reality: Government Negligence Exposed
Harish Rao dismissed official explanations citing 'repairs' and 'software issues' as mere excuses. He alleged that the real problem is gross negligence by the government. He highlighted the completion of the third phase of the Devadula project under the BRS government, which included a 49.5 km tunnel from Ramappa to Unikicherla, described as one of the longest tunnels in the world.
The Devannapeta pump house, built at a depth of 155 metres, ranks among the deepest globally. Rao stated that the BRS government invested approximately Rs 7,300 crore in the Devadula project, completing over 80% of the works. This effort expanded irrigation coverage from about 47,000 acres to more than 3.17 lakh acres.
Financial Mismanagement and Unfulfilled Commitments
Rao further alleged that in the last two years, the Congress government has not added even one acre of new ayacut and has failed to operate the existing motors. Maintenance funds totaling about Rs 8 crore were not released to contractors last year, resulting in pumps remaining idle. This inaction led to crop losses estimated at Rs 700–800 crore.
He mentioned that the funds were only released after BRS protests, but by then, farmers had already suffered heavy losses. Despite promises made in May 2024 that the project would be completed by March 2026, no meaningful progress has been made, according to Rao.
In summary, Harish Rao's demands underscore a critical irrigation crisis in Telangana, with political accusations flying over the management of the Devadula project. The situation highlights ongoing challenges in agricultural water supply and government accountability in the region.
