Nalgonda: Telangana Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy has backed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s decision to allocate 0.6 thousand million cubic feet (TMCft) of water from the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) to the Dindi project, amid a growing disagreement between leaders from the erstwhile Nalgonda and Palamuru districts.
Speaking to reporters in Nalgonda on Sunday, Sukhender Reddy criticised Mahabubnagar BJP MP DK Aruna for demanding the cancellation of the Dindi project. He described her demand as unreasonable and urged her to focus instead on securing national project status for PRLIS.
Sukhender Reddy said the government’s priority was to protect the interests of farmers in both Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts. He described the water allocation as an important step towards fulfilling the long-standing aspirations of people in the erstwhile Nalgonda region.
He thanked Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy for the decision, saying the allocation would benefit farmers in the region.
Dindi project and fluoride-affected areas
The Council Chairman said the Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme was important for people in Devarakonda and Munugode, areas that have faced prolonged challenges associated with fluoride contamination.
He argued that irrigation projects should be viewed in the context of the needs of the wider state rather than through narrow regional considerations. Opposing attempts to create disputes between districts over water allocation, he said such disagreements could undermine the interests of both regions.
Sukhender Reddy also referred to the supply of 30 TMCft of water to Hyderabad through the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project (AMRP), citing it as an example of water resources serving needs beyond the district where a project is located.
Call for national project status for PRLIS
Sukhender Reddy urged DK Aruna, as a Member of Parliament representing the BJP, to press the Central government to grant national project status to PRLIS.
He said completing the Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme would provide significant benefits to farmers in the Palamuru region and help address long-standing concerns over agricultural water availability.
The Chairman also said expanding irrigation access could help reduce migration from the Palamuru region, where people have historically moved elsewhere in search of livelihoods.
He warned that disputes over water between Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts would be detrimental to both areas and called for a broader approach that considers the needs of farmers across Telangana.
The disagreement over the Dindi project and PRLIS allocation reflects wider regional concerns over irrigation, water sharing and the development of agricultural infrastructure in the state.
