Krishna water row: YSRCP alleges Andhra govt neglecting delta farmers
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader M.V.S. Nagi Reddy has accused the Andhra Pradesh government of failing to utilise the available Krishna River water to support irrigation in drought-prone regions and the Krishna delta. In a statement issued on Sunday (August 2, 2026), the party general secretary and former vice-chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission said that around 1.8 lakh cusecs of water was being released from the Jurala project and nearly 1.74 lakh cusecs was reaching the Srisailam reservoir, whose water level had crossed the minimum drawdown level.
Mr. Nagi Reddy claimed that Telangana had already started drawing water through its lift irrigation schemes, including Bhima-I, Bhima-II, Nettempadu, Koilsagar and Kalwakurthy, while Andhra Pradesh was delaying releases through the Handri-Neeva and Muchumarri lift schemes. He criticised the government for advising farmers in the Krishna delta against cultivating paddy during the kharif season, arguing that paddy, sugarcane and aquaculture are the principal economic activities in the region. According to him, there is no practical alternative to paddy cultivation on the 10.5 lakh acres of ayacut in the delta.
The former official also questioned the government's decision to preserve the entire 29 tmc ft of water in the Pulichintala project, which was built to stabilise the Krishna delta, for drinking water needs until June 2027, despite heavy inflows into reservoirs in the Krishna basin. He said official claims about water being lifted through the Pattiseema project were inaccurate, and maintained that a combination of releases from Pattiseema and Pulichintala would adequately meet irrigation requirements.
Stating that thousands of tenant farmers had already invested in cultivation, Mr. Nagi Reddy urged the government to release water immediately to the Krishna delta, the Handri-Neeva project and the K.C. Canal to prevent a deepening agrarian crisis. He said the delay in releases was causing uncertainty among farmers, many of whom are tenants with limited resources, and could lead to significant losses if water did not arrive soon.
The Krishna river, one of the major rivers in southern India, flows through both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The sharing of its waters has been a long-standing issue between the two states. Several irrigation projects along the river depend on this water, and decisions regarding its release are crucial for the kharif and rabi seasons. The delta region, which covers lakhs of acres, relies heavily on the Krishna river system for its agricultural output, particularly paddy.
The YSRCP, now the main opposition in Andhra Pradesh, has been critical of the state government's water management policies. Mr. Nagi Reddy, who held a key role in the agriculture mission, said the current approach was causing distress among farmers. According to data shared by him, the inflows into Srisailam have been substantial, allowing for releases to downstream projects. However, the alleged delay in opening the Handri-Neeva and Muchumarri schemes has meant that water meant for irrigation is not reaching the fields. He also pointed out that the K.C. Canal, which serves several districts, had not received the expected releases.
The government is yet to respond to these allegations. Water availability and its management remain a sensitive issue in the region, with competing demands from agriculture, drinking water and industrial needs. The outcome of this latest dispute could have significant implications for farmers in the delta and other irrigation-dependent areas.
