Delhi meeting to resolve battle between TS, AP over Nagarjuna Sagar put off

HYDERABAD: The December 6 meeting in New Delhi between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, to review and find a solution to the battle between the two states on control of Nagarjuna Sagar dam, and water releases from there, has been postponed.

The Department of Water Resources under the Ministry, announced on Tuesday that the meeting has been rescheduled to December 8 on account of the intense cyclone Michaung that formed over the Bay of Bengal and impacting Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Telangana.

The December 6 meeting was to be attended by senior irrigation officials from both states, and discuss a solution to the stand-off at Nagarjuna Sagar dam. It may be recalled that on the night of November 29, on the eve of voting on November 30 for the Telangana Legislative Assembly, Andhra Pradesh irrigation department officials, accompanied by police forces from the state, took charge of the dam’s control room and began releasing water to their state through the dam’s right canal.

This was objected to by Telangana which rushed its own police forces to the dam resulting in a stand-off and an urgent meeting called for by the Union government subsequently, saw the Union Home Ministry suggesting that the CRPF take control of the entire dam, which was agreed to by Telangana but was rejected by Andhra Pradesh.