Hyderabad: Crucial Apex Council meet on next Tuesday

Hyderabad: Will the Telangana government adopt a tough stand against Andhra Pradesh which proposes to construct a new lift irrigation scheme to tap Krishna water from Srisailam Project at the Apex Council meeting to be held by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on October 6?

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had many times in the recent past stated that he would leave no stone unturned to save the interests of the state. He took strong objection to the AP government raising objections to the nine projects in Telangana and lodging complaint with the Godavari River Management Board. The AP government had filed complaints with the GRMB on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), GLIS phase-3, Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Scheme, Tupakulagudem, Telangana Drinking Water Supply Project, three barrages on the Lower Penganga river — Rajupet (Bhimkund), Chanaka-Korata and Pimparad-Parsoda — and the Ramappa to Pakhal Lake diversion saying that they do not have necessary clearances from the Central agencies and that they would affect the interests of Andhra Pradesh..

They had also objected to projects like the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme, Bhaktha Ramadas Lift Irrigation Scheme, Water Grid Project taken up under Mission Bhagiratha, Thummilla Lift Irrigation Scheme, enhancing the scope of the Mahatma Gandhi Kalwakurthi Lift Irrigation Scheme (MGKLIS) and the Nettempadu Lift Irrigation Scheme on river Krishna.

The Telangana government is of the view that the neighbouring state was intentionally creating disputes over sharing of river waters and hence they should utilise the Apex Council meeting to give clarity on the issue so that the controversies can end once and for ever. In view of this, KCR has convened a meeting of all top officials of state Water Resources Department on Thursday and asked them to come with complete data and information on the projects which are to be placed before the Apex Council. He said the government should be ready with all related information and data pertaining to all the projects and with replies to all the queries raised by the neighbouring state as well as the Central agencies.

He said the action plan should be finalised in such a manner that there should be no ambiguity on the TS stand when the Apex Council takes up the issue.

Along with that the government will also register its protest over the inactive role of the Centre in resolving interstate water disputes for the past six years. Though the State Bifurcation acts mandate that the Centre should allocate the share of water by constituting a special tribunal under interstate river water dispute, the Centre had not taken any action despite repeated requests by the TS government. Hence, the government should make best use of the Apex Council meeting, the Chief Minister felt.