*Naidu leaves Rayalaseema high and dry, despite full Srisailam reservoir: Sake Sailajanath*

Tadepalli, Sept 16:  Former minister Sake Sailajanath accused the TDP coalition government of pushing farmers across Andhra Pradesh into severe drought through its negligent and chaotic water management. Addressing the media at the YSRCP central office, he said the drought was not caused by El Niño but was a man-made “Yellow Niño” created by Chandrababu Naidu’s failure.
He said Srisailam received 214.5 TMC of water against its full capacity of 215.8 TMC, yet no water was supplied even to irrigate dry crops in Rayalaseema. Though Pothireddypadu can carry 40,000 cusecs, the government delayed releases and allowed Srisailam to reach dead-storage levels. 
Sailajanath said Gandikota and other Rayalaseema reservoirs were drying up while the government published misleading “water abundance” reports. He alleged that reducing Polavaram’s height to 45.7 metres betrayed both Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra. He also questioned Naidu’s silence over Karnataka’s Upper Bhadra project and Telangana’s excessive use of Srisailam water for power generation.
He said groundnut, red gram, sweet lime, mango and banana crops were withering, while Rs 190 crore announced for horticulture was grossly inadequate. He demanded full compensation for farmers and tenants, immediate fodder centres and united pressure from Rayalaseema representatives. YSRCP would continue its struggle until farmers received justice, he asserted.