TELANGANA’S GROWTH AMBITION MEETS A WATER REALITY CHECK
TELANGANA’S GROWTH AMBITION MEETS A WATER REALITY CHECK As the state courts investment and asks farmers to defer water-intensive crops, the hard question is how scarce supplies will be allocated—and measured. By Murthy ASR | 18 October 2026 | BIZ MASALA The Chief Minister’s appeal to defer water-intensive Rabi paddy has exposed a difficult policy intersection: drinking-water security, farm livelihoods and industrial growth all depend on the same resource. The data needs careful reading, but the case for transparent water accounting is immediate. THE STORY A public appeal signals a serious trade-off Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has urged farmers to defer water-intensive paddy cultivation in the coming Yasangi/Rabi season, warning of a difficult water situation over the coming months. Reports of the October 15 appeal cited the need to protect drinking-water supplies and described reservoir storage as sharply lower than a year earlier. ...