Water Disputes Between TS, AP: Much-delayed Apex Council meet on Oct 6

Hyderabad: The long-delayed Apex Council meeting between the Chief Ministers of the two Telugu States will be held on October 6. The Council Chairman and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will preside over the meeting with two Chief Ministers via video conference. It may be mentioned here that the Apex Council meeting has been postponed for two times due to various reasons.

The two State officials were informed about the new schedule for the meeting on Monday. The Andhra and Telangana State governments locked horns over the 'illegal' projects taken up by two States on river Krishna and Godavari. The two States have already lodged complaints with KRMB, GRMB and Apex Council demanding to stop the construction of the projects.

Official sources said that the senior Irrigation department officials have already furnished all the details of the AP's illegal projects to Telangana Chief Minister who recently announced that he will expose Andhra's conspiracy in the exploitation of Krishna water through the proposed Rayalaseema Lift irrigation scheme. The TS government also raised strong objections to the enhancement of Pothireddypadu head regulator without seeking the nod from the upper riparian State of Telangana.

"KCR will also give a befitting counter to Andhra government's opposition to the Telangana projects mainly Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and other projects," officials said and added that government had already explained to the boards that all the projects taken up on two rivers have been proposed in the undivided Andhra Pradesh and are redesigned to suit local conditions after the bifurcation of State.