Water Resources Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao on Thursday told the Assembly that the Telangana government had illegally taken up 17 irrigation projects in the Krishna and Godavari basins with a planned utilisation of 629.38 tmcft in violation of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Responding to the queries of TDP members B.C. Janardhan Reddy, A. Satya Prasad and N. Rama Naidu during the Question Hour, Mr. Rao said the State had identified eight illegal projects, including three capacity-enhancement ones, in the Krishna basin and nine illegal projects in the Godavari basin.

The illegal projects in the Krishna basin were aimed at utilising 179.07 tmcft while those in the Godavari basin for using 450.31 tmcft, Mr. Rao said, and added that the State government had already raised the issue before the Central Water Commission, the Krishna River Management Board, the Godavari River Management Board and the Ministry of Water Resources by lodging protests and also requested for apex council meeting to discuss the projects. He said all the regulatory bodies concerned were requested to restrain Telangana from taking up these illegal projects. Among the listed were major projects such as Palamuru -Rangareddy, Kaleshwaram, Tupakulagudem and Sita Rama.

Penal interest

To a supplementary raised by TDP member T. Sreeram Rajagopal, Minister K. Kala Venkata Rao said the APGENCO was yet to receive ₹5,127 crore and ₹604 crore penal interest on it from the Telangana DISCOMs. He said the State had moved the National Company Law Tribunal and the next hearing is on February 20.