Row over river waters deepens, State seeks opinion of MPs on A.P. proposal
The State government will seek inputs from all Members of Parliament (MPs) from Telangana before finalising its stance on the Godavari-Banakacherla project proposed by Andhra Pradesh. Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday announced that a meeting with MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, cutting across party lines, will be held at his office at the Secretariat here on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will be the chief guest at the meeting, which will also be attended by Union Ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar. Mr. Uttam Reddy said the State has urged the Centre to reject the pre-feasibility report of the Godavari-Banakacherla project, which is currently being reviewed by the Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
A presentation on the project is expected during the meeting, following which suggestions and feedback from the MPs will be invited.
Meanwhile, BRS senior leader and former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao has urged Mr. Uttam Reddy to press Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil to immediately convene an Apex Council meeting to address what he called a violation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Mr. Uttam Reddy rejected Mr. Rao's claim that Telangana would gain 112.5 tmc ft of Krishna water if 80 tmc ft is diverted to the Krishna Delta through the Polavaram project. He called the suggestion 'absolutely wrong' and said it would severely harm Telangana's water rights and interests.
He also urged Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to reject Andhra Pradesh's request for Terms of Reference for the modified Polavaram Irrigation Project. He accused the A.P. government of repeatedly violating environmental clearances and tribunal allocations, warning that such actions are not only detrimental to riparian principles but also legally untenable.
In a letter sent on Monday, Mr. Uttam Reddy alleged that A.P. has made massive and unauthorised alterations to components of the PIP in both the Krishna and Godavari basins. He said these changes exceed the scope permitted under the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award and the recommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee.
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