The Congress has opposed the release of drinking water to Chennai through the Telugu Ganga project, and the ruling Telugu Desam has accused it of whipping up passions among farmers of Nellore for narrow gains.

Although 3 TMC of water was to be released as per the earlier schedule, it has been put off in view of the tension prevailing in the district due to the indefinite hunger strike undertaken by local Congress leader Anam Ramnarayan Reddy.

While Congress leaders have been demanding supply of water for a second crop from the Kandaleru reservoir before release to Chennai, the TDP maintains there was sufficient water in the reservoir.

The war of words between the leaders of both parties reached crescendo with former chief minister NJanardhana Reddy today expressing his willingness to quit politics if his point of view was proved wrong.

On his part, Youth Services Minister S Chandramohan Reddy, who hails from Nellore district, termed the Congress agitation as a "political stunt". He produced a copy of the joint statement issued by the then chief minister Janardhana Reddy and his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalita in 1992 to supply drinking water to Chennai by January 1, 1985.

Janardhana Reddy, however, clarified that he was not opposed to diverting Krishna river water to Chennai and was only interested in protecting the rights of Nellore farmers. "The water which is being released from Kandaleru was drawn from the Pennar basin, not from Krishna river," he asserted.

Addressing a press conference here, he criticised the State Government for spreading "misinformation" on the struggle being waged by the Congress in Nellore district to protest against diversion of Penna river water from the Somashila project.

Though 5 TMC of water eachfrom Karnataka and Maharashtra should be drawn into the Srisailam reservoir, from where 15 TMC of water should be released into Somasila reservoir for supply to Chennai, so far no attempts have been made to draw 10 TMC from the two states, he said.

The former chief minister said he would soon be writing to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi explaining the Congress stand on the issue, citing the facts and figures.

"Instead of believing what Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has told him, the Tamil Nadu chief minister can send a team of ministers and officials to Nellore to know the ground reality," Janardhana Reddy said.

Meanwhile, Chandramohan Reddy dismissed the Congress argument and mainained that the interests of the State were not affected by the release of water to Chennai.

Speaking to mediapersons, he said the release of 5 TMC to Chennai for drinking needs was part of the Telugu Ganga project envisaged by the Jalagam Vengal Rao regime in 1977.

"The late N T Rama Rao not only abided by theorignial proposal, but included another 23 TMC of water to irrigate 5.75 lakh acres in Rayalaseema and Nellore. In fact, the Telugu Ganga project was launched by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi at Chennai in 1983," he said.

Stating that there was no scarcity of water, the Minister said, "No farmer has asked for water and no field has dried up for want of water. What the Congress leaders are doing is only a political gimmick."

The water level in the Kandaleru reservoir is 11.5 ft as against its capacity of 14.5 ft. "Even after the release of 3 TMC of water to Chennai, there will be about 8.5 ft water in the reservoir, which is sufficient to meet the farmers' requirements," he explained.