By Seeking NOC From Naidu, Revanth Approved AP’s Banakacharla: Harish
BRS leader accuses CM of giving Telangana’s water rights to Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad: Former irrigation minister and senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao on Thursday excoriated Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for “approving” Andhra Pradesh’s Godavari-Banakacharla irrigation project.
“Revanth gave a blanket clearance to AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu by saying Chandrababu should give a NOC to us using 1,000 tmc ft of Godavari water, and 500 tmc ft of Krishna water. Telangana already has hydrological clearances from Central Water Commission for using 946 tmc ft of Godavari waters for projects in the state. What Revanth did by his NOC offer is nothing but approving the Banakacharla project,” Harish Rao said.
“Who is Revanth to give away Telangana’s water to Chandrababu? Does he think he is a king? Can do whatever he pleases with the lives of lakhs of people in Telangana and their water rights,” Harish Rao said at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, the party headquarters.
“With his statements yesterday (Wednesday), Revanth displayed his utter ignorance. Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy sat silently next to him without correcting the CM,” Harish Rao said.
Harish Rao said “Revanth now showed everyone how clueless he is about absolutely vital issues for Telangana. He does not have basic knowledge about river basins; all he knows is how to carry bags of cash. He does not know where Devadula project is. Even worse, his irrigation adviser Adityanath Das, who was AP chief Secretary and irrigation secretary, said Banakacharla was in Prakasam district, while it is in Nandyal district.”
Harish Rao also slammed Revanth Reddy for alleging that former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had said: “KCR first said there is 3,000 tmc ft of water in the Godavari flowing into the Bay of Bengal every year, and because of this AP is now going ahead with Banakacharla project.”
Harish Rao said: “It is not KCR who made this ‘revelation’ as Revanth alleged. The Central Water Commission has monitoring stations on Godavari and it was the CWC assessment which KCR referred to at the Apex Council meeting.” Harish Rao said there was never any agreement with the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government, and that the then AP CM had backed out because “KCR insisted that Telangana’s interests must come first. Revanth and Uttam are lying on this just as they lie on every other issue.”
On the Krishna river and Revanth Reddy saying 500 tmc ft was enough for Telangana, Harish Rao said, “KCR argued before the KWDT that Telangana’s share in Krishna water must be 750 tmc ft. The 299 tmc ft for Telangana and 512 tmc ft for AP from Krishna was a temporary arrangement. Revanth must reveal copies of Telangana making this clear before the KWDT and not use selected bits of information from different documents to heap political abuse on KCR and the BRS.”