Irrigation minister T Harish Rao takes steps to resolve RDS dispute with Karnataka

Hyderabad: Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao will visit Bengaluru on April 28 to meet his Karnataka counterpart M.B. Patil on the long-pending dispute over the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme - the inter-state irrigation scheme on the River Tungabhadra.

Mr Rao on Saturday discussed the issue on telephone with Mr Patil and sought his intervention in resolving the decades-old dispute. He informed Mr Patil about the works proposed by united AP government which are still pending.

Since the head works of RDS is situated in Karnataka and water travels about 40 km in that Karnataka, farmers from Kurnool district of AP used to break the sluices and farmers, from both AP and Karnataka, used to divert the water to their fields.

Mr Rao pointed out to Mr Patil that the government of undivided AP had sanctioned Rs 72 crore to take up modernisation of the RDS by raising the height of the head works 15 cm and for lining works and had even deposited Rs 58 crores with the Karnataka government.

He also brought to the notice of Mr Patil that despite an agreement existing, the Karnataka government has not implemented it. When Mr Patil asked Mr Rao to come to Bengaluru for negotiations again, the meeting was fixed for April 28.