BJP Malkajgiri MP and former minister Eatala Rajender on Friday urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to set aside political considerations and make effective use of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project by utilising the water flowing downstream from Medigadda by pumping for the benefit of farmers.Addressing a press conference, Mr. Rajender said that despite the lack of storage capacity at the Devadula project, water was being pumped there. Hence, he appealed to the Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy to consult engineers and explore ways to pump and utilise the water flowing from Medigadda to the river, especially during the current dry spell.“Not a single drop of water should go waste. Farmers will face severe hardship if adequate water is not supplied,” he said. The BJP leader stressed that the Congress government was free to investigate alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project, identify those responsible and take legal action. However, he said such efforts should not come at the cost of public welfare.“The money spent on the Kaleshwaram project belongs to the people. Expose the corruption, punish the guilty, but do not inconvenience farmers and the public for political reasons,” he said. Mr. Rajender said he was not opposing the observations made by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), but argued that the State should focus on addressing its growing water needs.He claimed that Hyderabad was already facing a deficit of 107 million gallons per day (MGD) in water supply and warned that people in Hyderabad, north Telangana, Khammam and Nalgonda could face difficulties if a larger water crisis emerged.Warning the government against politicising issues affecting agriculture, he said farming remained the backbone of the economy, with a majority of the population dependent on it. “If farmers suffer due to a lack of irrigation water, people will hold the government accountable,” he said.Meanwhile, at a workshop on pending fee reimbursement dues, BJP leaders decided to launch a state-wide agitation, with details of the action plan to be announced shortly. The party claimed that nearly four lakh students were affected by pending reimbursements amounting to over ₹10,000 crore. BJP leaders criticised the government for neglecting the education sector and demanded adequate budget allocations.BJP LP leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, MLCs Malka Komaraiah and Anji Reddy, and other party leaders attended the meeting. Published - July 10, 2026 08:05 pm IST