Mangalagiri: TDP demands all-party meet on KRMB resolutions

Mangalagiri: Senior TDP leader and former Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao on Wednesday accused the Jagan Mohan Reddy government of harming the rights and interests of AP farmers by not bargaining for a better deal at the latest meeting of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

Uma questioned the rationale behind bringing Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar under the purview of the KRMB while giving exemption to the Jurala project. Over 150 tmcft water would be taken away from Jurala which would badly harm the future prospects of drinking and irrigation water in Rayalaseema. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy should open his mouth on this injustice.

Addressing a press conference here, the TDP leader asked whether Chief Minister Jagan was deliberately allowing the neigbhouring State to get a better deal since its Chief Minister had extended help during the elections. The Irrigation principal secretary and other officials did not argue for the rights of the AP farmers. They simply gave their approvals in front of the KRMB without questioning the injustice being done to AP.

Uma demanded that the government call for an all-party meeting to discuss the damaging consequences of the KRMB decisions. While the Chandrababu Naidu regime took all precautions to prevent injustice to AP farmers, the Jagan Reddy regime was causing irreparable loss to them. On May 27, 2016 itself, Naidu made sure that a joint notification was issued by the Central Water Resources Department on the jurisdiction of the KRMB and GRMB boards.

The TDP leader deplored that the Jagan Reddy regime did not defend the rights of AP farmers at the latest KRMB meeting. The AP irrigation rights were surrendered to the neighbouring State. Just because he got election funds and support from the neigbouring State, the AP CM was giving undue benefits to them at the cost of AP drinking and irrigation water needs.

Decrying the government's 'unilateral actions', Uma said that the Bachawat Tribunal had clearly allocated 512 tmcft for AP and 299 tmcft for Telangana out of the total 811 tmcft water. Though there were many issues between 2015 and 2019, Naidu's regime took all the care to fight for AP rights at all the necessary forums so that there would be no disputes.

The TDP leader said that the Machumarri project was also being neglected under the YSRCP regime. If this is continued, then the farmers of Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor districts would suffer heavy losses. Karnataka was raising Almatti dam by another 18 ft. Telangana was also constructing lift irrigation schemes to take away water through Jurala. Also, power generation was going on unauthorisedly there whereas AP Chief Minister was sleeping in his Tadepalli residence.

Uma said that former Chief Minister YSR also caused huge injustice to AP farmers by giving away rights on 448 tmcft surplus water before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal. Now, his son Jagan Reddy was going to cause a greater loss to the State farmers for his narrow personal interests.