With reservoir beds cracking and El Niño tightening its grip on Telangana, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy issued an urgent, farmer-first warning on Saturday, 7 November 2026: the next eight months will be brutal, and the only way through is together. Speaking at the Mega Rythu Mela — a flagship agricultural fair organised by the state government at Hakimpet in Kodangal constituency, Vikarabad district — the Chief Minister's Office of Telangana posted a detailed account of his address, urging farmers to switch to water-efficient arutadi (dry-land) crops before the season locks them in.

A CM's Pledge at Kodangal's Mega Rythu Mela

The event, billed as a prestige initiative of the state government, brought together model farmers, agricultural scientists, and officials for a face-to-face dialogue with the Chief Minister. Revanth Reddy did not soften the message. 'There is no one dearer to me than you,' he told the gathering. 'The heat ahead will be extreme. There is no water in the projects. Grow crops that need less water. The government will stand by you in these difficult times.'

He then made a direct appeal: 'As your brother, I am requesting — from now until next July, rains will not come. Think once before you sow. After Sankranti, I will launch the Praja Balam programme and come to every region, every area. I will be with you in your hardships. Let us all unite and face El Niño.'

Medigadda's Collapse and the Kannepalli Pump Crisis

The CM addressed a pointed criticism head-on: why aren't Godavari waters being lifted when the river is flowing? His answer was structural. The Medigadda barrage, one of three key barrages on the Godavari under the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation system, suffered structural damage, rendering the Kannepalli pump house non-operational. 'Only when Medigadda's gates are shut and 16 TMC of water is held back does water enter the pump house for lifting,' he explained.

He also pushed back on allegations that Telangana was diverting water to Andhra Pradesh, stating that water held at Tupakula Gudem is being lifted through the Devaadula project and used under the Sitaram project in Khammam. The three barrages — Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla — have no direct ayacut (command area) and must function simultaneously for water to reach Sripad Yellampalli.

Palamuru's Decades-Long Thirst and Stalled Schemes

Revanth Reddy traced the region's water grief back to independence itself. Palamuru district has waited since 1947 for drinking and irrigation water, he said — and despite Telangana's formation in 2014 raising hopes of equity, schemes like Kalvakurthi, Bhima, Nettempadu, Koilsagar, Palamuru-Ranga Reddy, and the Makthal-Narayanpet-Kodangal lift projects have not progressed as promised. He also recalled that the SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal) tunnel, had it been completed, would have ended the fluoride crisis in Nalgonda.

He invoked the legacy of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who launched the Pranahita-Chevella project at Thummidihetti with an outlay of Rs 15,000 crore to channel water to Chevella, Vikarabad, and Tandur — a project he said was never completed by subsequent governments.

Kodangal as a Rs 10,000 Crore Development Model

Beyond drought management, the CM unveiled an ambitious industrial and educational blueprint for the Kodangal region. A 250-foot-wide road from Hyderabad Airport to Kodangal is under construction, and the corridor from Hyderabad to Lagacherla is to be developed as an industrial hub on the lines of Delhi-Noida and Mumbai-Pune. Farmers along the route voluntarily surrendered land, receiving Rs 20 lakh per acre in compensation.

Under the RARE (Rural Agriculture Region Economy) framework, the government plans medical, engineering, polytechnic, nursing, veterinary, law, Young India Integrated School, and Sainik School institutions in the area — positioning Kodangal as a national development model. Total development outlay announced: Rs 10,000 crore. Thousands of crores in industrial investment and employment for local youth, the CM promised, are on the way.

December Assembly Sessions to Debate Water Future

The Chief Minister announced that special assembly sessions lasting two to three days will be held in December to comprehensively discuss El Niño preparedness, the Kaleshwaram situation, and the management of Godavari and Krishna river waters — with full details to be placed before the public. It is a rare legislative step, signalling that the government intends to make water governance a matter of public record rather than bureaucratic back-room management.

Eight months of hard weather lie ahead. The CM's message was unambiguous: plant less, plan more, and hold together — because the government intends to be counted when the ground runs dry.