The Congress and BRS are currently engaged in a war of words over the drought-like situation in the state with the latter blaming the incompetence of Congress government for the water crisis. This is the first time the state is facing such drought-like conditions after its formation ten years ago and might impact the results of the Lok Sabha polls.

Rao today iterated that the scarcity of water was not due to nature but the mishandling of resources by the Congress government. He lashed out at the chief minister who had stated yesterday that they were supplying tankers within 12 hours. “The chief minister should be ashamed for making such claims and seeking applause. Why are water tankers necessary in the first place? How can he say such a thing being the chief minister?”

He said because of the incompetent government, water tankers are back on the streets and women are standing in long queues braving the scorching sun for water.

He dismissed the claims of below average rainfall which the Congress said was the cause of the water crisis. Rao cited IMD data to show there was 14 per cent more rainfall than normal during the last monsoon. He said the Revanth Reddy led government was trying to convince people that Kaleshwaram was a failure and hence did not manage the available water judiciously.

He wondered how Gayatri and Nandi, the two pumphouses, started operations suddenly after BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao visited Nalgonda and Suryapet districts.

He went on to question the government on how it released water from Mallanna Sagar after BRS leader T Harish Rao threatened to lift the gates. The BRS working president dismissed the allegations of phone tapping, challenging chief minister Revanth Reddy to order investigations from 2004 when Congress was in power in the unified state and Telangana Congress MLAs had alleged their phones were being tapped.

He said the same police officials who worked in the BRS regime were continuing in the Congress government as well and should know about the issue.

KT Rama Rao today sent legal notice to Congress minister Konda Surekha and two other leaders over their allegations about his involvement in the phone tapping case.