Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated that the Congress government would not permit the construction of Banakacharla project under any circumstances, declaring that the project is being opposed through all possible means, including direct communication and written objections to the Centre.Speaking to the media in Hanamkonda, he said the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government is committed to protecting Telangana’s rightful share in Krishna and Godavari river waters, and the BRS should stop spreading falsehood. Mr. Reddy said, “Not one word spoken by Harish Rao is true. The injustice to Telangana in Krishna and Godavari waters happened during the ten years of BRS rule, not during our 21-month Congress government,” he said.He stated that the Congress government had already conveyed Telangana’s objections to the Banakacharla project in writing to Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil. “Telangana, Maharashtra and other co-basin States have clearly opposed it. Yet BRS MLA T Harish Rao is speaking as if the Telangana government is silent, he said.He alleged that former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and then Irrigation Minister Harish Rao had agreed to give Andhra Pradesh 512 TMC of Krishna water while settling for just 299 TMC for Telangana out of the 811 TMC allocated to united Andhra Pradesh. “This agreement was made in writing and presented to the Centre. The loss occurred under BRS,” he said.Elaborating on the State’s arguments, he said Telangana demanded 70% of 811 TMC at 75% dependability and 734 TMC out of 1,005 TMC at 65% dependability. “We argued both in writing and in person, and we are confident that justice will be done,” he said.The Minister asserted that Telangana would also oppose the proposed raising of the Almatti dam height. “It does not matter which party is in power in Karnataka. Telangana’s water rights are paramount,” he said.Published - October 11, 2025 07:54 pm IST