AP conspiring to illegally divert Godavari water to non-basin areas: Harish Rao
HYDERABAD
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused the Andhra Pradesh Government of conspiring to 'divert Godavari water on a large-scale, 200 tmc ft a year initially and 400 tmc ft later, to outer basin areas in that State, particularly to the Krishna and Penna basins at the cost of riparian rights of Telangana within the basin'.
'However, our Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was keeping mum on the issue, and so were the two Union Miniters G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar,' senior BRS leader and former minister for irrigation T. Harish Rao alleged while making a detailed powerpoint presentation on the Polavaram (Godavari)-Banakacherla (Krishna) Link here on Saturday.
'AP is conspiring for huge water theft without seeking any clearances and approvals, including by the Godavari and Krishna River Management boards (GRMB & KRMB), the Apex Council and statutory agencies such as the Central Water Commission (CWC), GWDT and KWDT and others,' Mr. Harish Rao said.
He added that tenders for the project to be taken up with ₹80,000 crore were being called in the month-end and the Centre had also offered 50% of the funding as part of the interlinking of rivers (ILR) and the remaining as borrowing facility beyond the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limits.
He reminded that the Centre had deducted Telangana's borrowing for the Kaleshwaram project from PFC (Power Finance Corporation) and REC (Rural Electrification Corporation) from FRBM limits.
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu had written to the Centre and CWC against the Kaleshwaram (June 13, 2018) project even after it was given all approvals as an ongoing project in place of Pranahita-Chevella, the BRS leader said. He also wrote against Kalwakurthy LIS, Palamuru-Rangareddy LIS, Bhakta Ramadasu LIS (SRSP tail-end), Tummilla LIS (RDS) and others, all aimed at serving the designed ayacut, to meet shortage of flows in the original plan.
He alleged that AP was conspiring to divert Godavari water to claim rights on it in the future by seeking re-allocation of water by the GWDT (Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal). He stated that Telangana had allowed AP to draw 72.2% of the Krishna water (577 tmc ft) against the adhoc arrangement of 512 tmc ft during the last water year. Similarly, for the first time since its formation Telangana had drawn 244 tmc ft (27.8%) against its adhoc share of 34% (299 tmc ft).
Mr. Harish Rao demanded that the Telangana Government convene and all-party meet to stop exploitation by AP, convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the issue, move the Supreme Court and also stop lining of the Srisailam Right Main Canal of the Srisailam Right Bank Canal project to allow carry 90,000 cusecs of water from Pothireddypadu Head Regulator (PRP-HR) from the existing 44,000 cusecs.
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