BRS leader T Harish Rao has alleged that crop losses across nearly 12 lakh acres in Telangana were caused by inadequate irrigation and power supply, and has demanded immediate drought relief for affected farmers and agricultural labourers.
Harish Rao made the allegations after visiting drought-hit paddy fields in Burugupalli village in Gajwel mandal of Siddipet district, where he met farmers and reviewed damage attributed to a lack of water and electricity. He accused the Congress-led state government of failing to respond to warnings about possible drought conditions and of not taking preventive measures in time.
The former minister demanded that the government declare drought-hit mandals, compensate farmers for crop losses and provide ₹12,000 in assistance to agricultural labourers. He also sought 24-hour quality power supply, round-the-clock operation of irrigation projects and measures to address drinking-water shortages.
According to Harish, farmers in districts including Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Medak, Khammam and Mahabubnagar have suffered severe crop losses. He alleged that the government had not secured sufficient coal stocks or purchased adequate power in advance, resulting in electricity shortages during a critical period for crops.
He further alleged that lift irrigation schemes, including Kannepalli, Devadula and Kalwakurthy, were not being operated at full capacity. In the Gajwel region, he said, hundreds of acres had dried up as crops approached harvest. The allegations were made during his interaction with farmers and reporters.
Harish also cited cases of farmers spending thousands of rupees on diesel generators to protect their crops but continuing to face losses because of irregular electricity supply and low-voltage problems. These accounts connect the crop-loss claim to the reliability of two essential systems: irrigation delivery and farm power.
The BRS leader compared the situation with the previous state government’s record, claiming that uninterrupted power and irrigation had helped farmers achieve higher agricultural production during difficult periods. He demanded that the government act on crop-loss assessments, relief measures, irrigation operations and drinking-water supply across affected areas.
