Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which has been waiting for an opportunity to revive the movement for separate Telangana and bring pressure on the Centre, has finally got an issue: release of water from Nagarjunasagar to Krishna delta.

The TRS leaders are gearing up for a major agitation in protest against the government’s decision to release 3,000 cusecs of water from Nagarjunasagar dam to Krishna delta in the name of hydel power generation.

The party is arguing that the government is showing partiality towards Krishna delta, while depriving Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts of drinking water and irrigation. They launched a protest at the Nagarjunasagar on Friday.

This has left the irrigation minister P Sudershan Reddy, who happens to be from Telangana in a tizzy. He met chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday to explain the situation. He said Krishna delta being the rice bowl of the state requires water releases in Kharif season by June 25.

“Already, the release was delayed by five days. Hence, the government took the decision. There is no question of any regional disparity in the move,” he explained.