Hyderabad: Union water resources minister Uma Bharti will hold the first apex council meeting with the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh sometime this month. On the agenda will be the construction of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi projects in Telangana using Krishna waters, thereby affecting inflows into Andhra Pradesh.
Her ministry has sought convenient dates from the CMs for the meeting. Despite both state governments earlier asking for a meeting to sort out various issues concerning sharing of Krishna and Godavari waters among the two states, it took a Supreme Court directive for the Union water resources ministry to convene the apex council meeting.
Mr Alla Venkata Gopala Krishna Rao and others had approached the apex court to issue a direction to stop the Telangana state government from proceeding further on the construction of the Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi projects using Krishna waters thereby affecting inflows into the Prakasam barrage for Krishna Delta requirements. The council is constituted to take a final decision on any dispute among the two states in the irrigation sector.
