Tension prevailed at the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, an inter-state irrigation project between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on the Tungabhadra river, on Sunday.
Telangana activists from Mahabubnagar district dumped sand bags at the site, stopping the flow of canal water to Kurnool district.
Raising "Jai Telangana" slogans, the activists dumped sand bags and tried to divert the water to farms in Palamuru mandal.
With the news of the diversion spreading, farmers from Kurnool and Emmiganur lined up at the spot and had a heated argument with the Telangana activists.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader Niranjan Reddy said that the Palamuru farmers were agitating as they do not get their due share of water, thanks to which their crops are withering.
He appealed to the state government to take steps towards providing irrigation water to Palamuru farmers.
Sensing that the situation might go out of control, the district administration stepped up security at RDS to prevent any untoward incident.
The police are reviewing the situation with irrigation officials, and officials said that the situation was under control.
The RDS irrigates 87,000 acres of farmland in Mahabubnagar district and some fields in Kurnool district. (INN)