Krishna River Management Board directs Andhra to not take up Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project

HYDERABAD: The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), via a letter, directed the Andhra Pradesh government not to take up construction of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project (RLIP), unless the detailed project report (DPR) of the project was appraised by KRMB or the Central Water Commission (CWC) and sanctioned by the Apex Council, as per the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

KRMB member-secretary HK Meena wrote the letter following a complaint lodged with the Board by Telangana Special Chief Secretary for Irrigation Rajat Kumar, with a request to prevail upon AP to stop the ongoing works on RLIP. Kumar, in his letter, had highlighted the failure of KRMB to send a fact-finding committee to the RLIP, as ordered by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

However, the Board, in its letter to AP, blamed the AP government for the same. “The KRMB requested the Government of AP several times to nominate a nodal officer and facilitate the visit of the team to the project site. However, the government has so far not facilitated the visit citing various reasons. Owing to this, the KRMB could not ascertain if there are any violations of the NGT order in the matter,” stated Meena’s letter. The member-secretary also enclosed Telangana’s complaint with the letter written to AP.