Put Up Tight Case on Almatti in SC: Revanth
Karnataka government has proposed to store an additional 100 tmc ft of water using the increased Almatti dam height
Hyderabad: Taking serious note of the Karnataka government’s efforts to secure additional water storage at the Almatti dam on the Krishna river, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and department officials to strongly highlight the state government’s stand against the measure in the Supreme Court.
The Karnataka government has proposed to store an additional 100 tmc ft of water using the increased Almatti dam height. Last week, Karnataka approved spending Rs 70,000 crore to acquire land in the submergence area.
The Chief Minister said on Sunday that he was committed to protecting the rights of farmers of Telangana and bringing more irrigation water for cultivation in the state. Finding fault with the then BRS government for accepting a 299 tmc ft share of the Krishna river waters during bifurcation, Revanth Reddy accused it of looting crores of money on the pretext of constructing the Kaleshwaram project, which caved in during its tenure.
He said that the Congress government was fighting for a 500 tmc ft water share from the Krishna river. He directed Uttam Kumar Reddy and his team of officials to highlight in the Supreme Court that Karnataka increasing the height of the Almatti dam and storing more water posed a major threat to Telangana farmers and the state’s agriculture sector.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to prepare a comprehensive report on the adverse impact that the additional water storage of water the Almatti dam would have on Telangana, and file it before the Supreme Court.
Revanth Reddy said he would review the situation arising out of the Almatti dam height issue and the water share to be allocated to Telangana from the Krishna and Godavari rivers as well as the financial irregularities that took place in the Kaleshwaram project during the BRS government tenure.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, speaking in Suryapet district after inspecting lift irrigation schemes, said that he would be going to Delhi on Monday to attend the Krishna Waters Disputes Tribunal-II meeting on Tuesday. He reiterated that the state government was against increasing the height of Almatti dam and additional impounding of water in it. He said the state government would fight to secure Telangana’s rightful share of Krishna and Godavari river waters.