Telangana BJP president says farmers dependent on Jurala and Kalwakurthy projects are facing irrigation crisis; party also seeks probe into RIMS Adilabad fire
Hyderabad, September 2026 : Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao was detained by police at Jadcherla on Tuesday while he was travelling towards the Priyadarshini Jurala Project to meet farmers protesting over the non-release of irrigation water. Rao alleged that the Congress government was using arrests and preventive detentions to prevent the BJP from raising public issues instead of addressing the concerns of farmers.
According to reports, Rao and other BJP leaders were taken into preventive custody before they could reach the project. The BJP delegation had planned to interact with farmers and assess the difficulties being faced by those dependent on the Jurala irrigation system. BJP workers subsequently staged protests against the detention.
Rao alleged that whenever the BJP raised issues concerning the public, questioned the government over its performance or attempted to meet affected people, the administration responded by deploying police and detaining its leaders.
“We wanted to meet farmers at Jurala. But police prevented us from meeting the farmers, forcing us to go to Jadcherla to hear their grievances,” Rao said.
He said farmers in the Krishna basin and those dependent on the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme and Jurala Project were facing serious difficulties because of inadequate irrigation water. The BJP has demanded immediate measures to protect standing crops in the downstream command areas.
Farmers in the Palamuru region, including areas of Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy and Mahabubnagar districts, have been protesting over the availability of irrigation water. Reports said farmers have sought water for standing paddy crops, while officials have cited concerns over available water resources and advised farmers to consider less water-intensive crops.
The BJP had announced Rao’s visit to Jurala after farmers intensified their agitation. The party said the purpose of the visit was to understand the situation on the ground and press the government for measures to protect crops. Rao had also called for coordination with Karnataka for additional water releases from the Almatti and Narayanpur reservoirs.
The latest detention has also become part of a wider political dispute between the BJP and the Congress government in Telangana. BJP leaders have alleged that Rao has repeatedly faced preventive detention or house arrest while attempting to participate in protests or visit areas where the party has sought to raise public grievances.
BJP Telangana vice-president Dr G Manohar Reddy alleged that repeated detentions were strengthening the party’s mobilisation efforts. He claimed the Congress government was avoiding questions on farmers’ concerns, student fee reimbursement and other issues by restricting opposition leaders.
The BJP has also raised concerns over the deaths of newborns in a fire at the Special Newborn Care Unit of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad.
Rao expressed condolences to the families of the infants who died in the incident and called for an immediate inquiry. He said hospitals should regularly inspect air-conditioning systems, oxygen equipment and other critical infrastructure and ensure adequate safeguards against electrical short circuits and fluctuations.
The fire broke out late Monday night in the neonatal unit at RIMS Adilabad. Three infants have since been reported dead, while dozens of newborns were evacuated and shifted to other hospitals. Preliminary reports pointed to a possible electrical fault involving an air-conditioning unit, though an expert inquiry has been ordered to establish the cause and identify any safety lapses.
Rao said hospital authorities must ensure regular maintenance and safety inspections, particularly in critical-care facilities housing newborns and other vulnerable patients. He also called for accountability if the inquiry establishes negligence.
The two issues — the Jurala irrigation dispute and the RIMS fire — have given the Telangana BJP fresh grounds to question the state government on farmer welfare, public administration and safety standards. The Congress government’s response to the allegations and the outcome of the official inquiry into the hospital fire are expected to remain under scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the BJP has said it will continue to raise the irrigation issue and seek measures to ensure that farmers dependent on Jurala and other irrigation schemes receive adequate water for their standing crops. The continuing political confrontation comes as farmers in parts of southern Telangana seek urgent intervention to prevent further crop losses.
