Hyderabad: The Chief Ministers of Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh on Monday kicked up a storm over construction of projects and claiming rights over Krishna and Godavari waters.
TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, while laying the foundation stone for the new barrage at Medigadda across Godavari, said TS was entitled to 1,300 TMC ft of the two rivers. Meanwhile, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu got a resolution passed in his Cabinet seeking intervention of the Centre in all new projects taken up by the TS government, including the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi, using Krishna surplus waters.
Read: KCR lays foundation stone for Kaleshwaram irrigation project
Both states have been fighting for over two years before the Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal and the Supreme Court seeking a review of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, which according to them, has done great injustice to both the states.
Meanwhile, the TS government decided to go ahead with construction of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi projects against which the AP government had complained to the Krishna River Management Board.
Read: Change is on the way, says KCR
However, the rhetoric was high on both the sides on Monday, with Mr Chandrasekhar Rao vowing to complete all proposed projects on Krishna and Godavari stating: “At any cost of time, come thunderbolts, lightning or earthquakes, TS will utilise its 1,300 tmc ft of water.”
Addressing a media conference after the AP Cabinet meeting, Mr Naidu said as per the AP Reorganisation Act, Section 84 onwards, two river management boards have been created and any new project taken up by any state shall have to have the permission of the Board, and the apex council under the chairmanship of the Union Water Resources minister should resolve all disputes.
Telangana going against pacts, says AP CM Naidu
The Chief Ministers of Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh on Monday kicked up a storm over construction of projects and claiming rights over Krishna and Godavari waters.
Even as TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao vowed to complete all proposed projects on Krishna and Godavari stating by utilising its 1,300 tmc ft of water, addressing a media conference after the AP Cabinet meeting on Monday night, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu said the TS government was taking up projects without informing either AP or KRMB and GRMB, which was inconsistent with the Act and added that AP would file a complaint with the Centre to bring pressure on TS to follow the procedures.
According to irrigation adviser to the TS government R. Vidyasagar Rao, TS is entitled to 954 TMC ft of Godavari waters against the total allocation of 1,480 TMC ft granted by the Godavari Waters Disputes Tribunal for united AP. Krishna Basin assured water allocation to TS is 299 tmc ft while Krishna surplus water allocated to TS is 77 tmc ft.
“These figures are not being given by the TS government, the previous united AP government, through a number of orders, statements in Assembly and in submissions to the Justice Sri Krishna Committee, have stated about TS’ entitlement, let them dispute it, we will prove with evidences,” he said.
AP irrigation principal secretary B. Adityanath Das said, “AP per se is not against any particular project taken up by TS, but they are not following the procedure that is laid down in the AP Bifurcation Act, we only demand implementation of law and procedure.”
