BJP demands Telangana Govt to release Jurala water, large Ganesh idols entry on Tank Bund for immersion

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao on Monday (September 21, 2026) announced that a high-level party delegation, led by him, would visit the Priyadarshini Jurala Project on Tuesday to assess water levels and understand the problems faced by farmers in the downstream regions.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP State office in Hyderabad after inducting new members into the party, Mr. Rao urged the Congress government to take immediate steps to release water from the Jurala reservoir to safeguard standing crops. Poor coordination and disagreements among local leaders were adversely affecting farmers dependent on irrigation from the project, he claimed.

The BJP leader also called upon the State government to engage with the Congress-led Karnataka government to ensure adequate water releases from the Almatti and Narayanpur dams. He claimed that farmers, already struggling because of adverse weather conditions and crop losses, were facing additional hardships due to the absence of timely insurance support.

Mr. Rao criticised that successive State governments, first the Bharat Rashtra Samiithi (BRS) and now the Congress government has not implemented Centre’s ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ in Telangana since 2019 and questioned the latter for failing to take it up despite an election promise.

Arrests Condemned

The BJP Telangana chief also condemned the arrest of members of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) and demanded that the government grant all necessary permissions and make adequate arrangements for the Ganesh idol immersion at Hussain Sagar in keeping with established traditions.

He reiterated the demand that large idols, including those up to 70 feet tall, be allowed to enter Tank Bund for immersion instead of being diverted to designated backwater points. He alleged that the government has been ‘misusing’ the police force by deploying personnel around the Erravalli farmhouse rather than utilizing them for immersion-related arrangements.

Devotees and volunteers immerse Ganesh idols in a pond near Hussainsagar as part of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Hyderabad on Sunday (September 20, 2026)
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

Meanwhile, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy also criticized the arrests of BGUS members, stating that the organization had played a key role in ensuring the orderly conduct of Ganesh festivities and immersions in the city over the decades.

With nearly 1.4 lakh Ganesh idols installed across the city and lakhs of devotees expected to participate in the main immersion procession on September 25, Mr. Kishan Reddy said the government should have clarified arrangements for the massive event well in advance and urged consultations instead of taking coercive action.