Telangana thretens to sue Andhra Pradesh over water from Srisailam project

Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao said on Monday his government would launch legal action against Andhra Pradesh if it builds a lift irrigation project to divert water from the Srisailam dam to Rayalaseema.

The Srisailam project is shared by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The chief minister announced this intention during a high-level meeting to discuss the AP government’s decision to release funds for the project. Taking serious exception, Chandrasekhar Rao instructed officials to approach the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) and challenge the decision of the Andhra Pradesh government in the Supreme Court.

He said that Andhra Pradesh has committed a “grave mistake” by deciding to construct a new project without consulting the apex committee.

The chief minister said the decision violates the rights of Telangana and is against the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Chandrashekar Rao said, “It is painful that the AP government has taken a unilateral decision without consulting is. We will certainly make all-out efforts to stop the new project at any cost.”

The chief mininster pointed out that the AP Reorganisation Act stipulates that in case either state wants to construct any new project on the Krishna river, it has to consult an apex committee. “It is unfortunate the AP government is acting unilaterally,” Chandrashekar Rao said.

He directed the officers concerned to work out legal remedies to stall the AP government.

Chandrashekar Rao and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy have met more than once to work out ways to resolve disputes over the Krishna and Godavari rivers and have also discussed linking of the two rivers.