Home » Telangana » Telangana Urges Krishna River Management Board To Restrain Ap From Proceeding With Rayalaseema Works

Telangana urges Krishna River Management Board to restrain AP from proceeding with Rayalaseema works

Telangana requested the KRMB to take necessary action and effective steps to stop the "illegal activity" by the Andhra Pradesh government.

BySouth First Desk

Published Oct 05, 2023 | 6:54 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 05, 2023 | 6:54 PM

Srisailam dam and Krishna river. (Wikimedia Commons)

Telangana has urged the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to restrain Andhra Pradesh from proceeding ahead of phase-I construction works of the Rayalaseema Pumping System and the upgradation of the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator (PRP HR) and Banakacharla Complex to draw 80,000 cusecs of water from the foreshore of Srisailam Reservoir and other related works

In a letter to the KRMB chairman, Telangana’s Irrigation and Command Area Development Department Engineer-in-Chief (General) C Muralidhar said that through the Telugu daily clippings, the Andhra Pradesh government has issued orders to carry out the works of Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) under Phase-I to supply drinking water to Rayalaseema region and Chennai water supply during the period between June and July by installing six pumps from Srisailam Reservoir.

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The proposed amounts to divert

It was proposed to divert 59 tmc of water to meet the requirements of 15 tmc for Chennai water supply, 8.6 tmc for Rayalaseema’s drinking water needs, 35.23 tmc for the minimum water required to supply Chennai Water Supply Scheme: Veligodu reservoir( 9.5 tmc) on TGP canal, Somasila reservoir (17.33 tmc) and Kandaleru reservoir (8.4 tmc) totalling 58.83 tmc.

The proposed RLIS is to cater for the needs of the outside basin contravenes the KWDT-I Award.

The letter said that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order dated 17 December, 2021, restrained Andhra Pradesh from proceeding with the construction of works without obtaining Pre-Environmental Clearance.

“In utter disregard to the NGT order, the AP government is now proceeding with the above work,” it said.

The chairman added that Andhra Pradesh was permitted to divert only 1500 cusecs of water from the Srisailam reservoir towards the Chennai Water Supply Scheme in terms of the 1976 and 1977 interstate agreements.

But, in breach of the agreement of 1976 and 1977, the canal was enlarged to contain 11,150 cusecs of water, later further enlarged to 44,000 cusecs and now to over 80,000 cusecs by Andhra Pradesh, it said.

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Asks KRMB to restrain AP

“All these issues are pending before KWDT-II and do not have any clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC). However, Andhra Pradesh with an intention to fait accompli the plea of Telangana is enlarging the same on top priority to divert Krishna waters to outside basin by depriving in-basin needs with regard to any court orders or Tribunal stipulations,” it added.

The chairman also said that the Andhra Pradesh government had taken up the tender process of projects and Telangana wrote a letter to KRMB adding that there were several such enhancements and new components taken up by the latter and Telangana requested KRMB to restrain it from taking up such works.

“It is already informed that the Andhra Pradesh government has taken up the lining works of Srisailam Right Main Canal (SRMC) from PRP HR. This shows that Andhra Pradesh is proceeding with an intention to complete the works at a brisk pace,” the letter said.

The chairman further said that if this scheme and its related works were completed in violation of NGT orders and contrary to the 1976 and 1977 inter-state agreements, it would result in catastrophic effects on Telangana projects.

The chairman requested KRMB to take necessary action and effective steps to stop the “illegal activity” by the Andhra Pradesh government and protect the genuine and legitimate claims of the people of Telangana on Krishna waters.