Veligonda: Telangana raises objection over Centre considering funding project

Hyderabad: The state government has raised objections over the Centre considering the Veligonda irrigation project being constructed by the AP government for funding under the PMKSY-AIBP during 2021-26.

The government wrote to the Centre on Friday stating that the project was categorised as “unapproved” in the recent gazette which brought all irrigation projects on the Krishna and Godavari under the jurisdiction of river management boards. The government urged the Centre to verify whether an “unapproved” project is eligible for funding.

In the letter to the Union Jal Shakti ministry, TS irrigation Engineer-in-Chief C. Muralidhar, stated: “It is also learnt that physical monitoring of this proposed project is to be completed by August 27, 2021 and report to be made available by September 3, 2021.”

The government said the project was taken up by the erstwhile AP government based on surplus waters of the Krishna, and does not have clearance from the Central Water Commission nor water allocation from the Krishna Waters Dispute Tribunal-1 (KWDT).

The letter said the project envisions diversion of Krishna water to other basins and is being vehemently opposed by TS government before KWDT-2, he noted.