Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have intensified the dispute of sharing of Krishna water particularly in the wake of works on Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) taken up by AP and power generation at three inter-State projects by Telangana by shooting letters to Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Environment and Forests and filing contempt plea in National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The hectic day of activity over the water row began with AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy addressing separate letters to Union Ministers of Jal Shakti and Environment & Forests. It followed Telangana filing a contempt petition in the matter of RLIS works in NGT Southern Zone Bench at Chennai and writing letters to the Member-Secretary of Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of MoEF and Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).
In his letter to MoJS Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy sought notifying the jurisdiction of KRMB covering all off-takes of irrigation and power on common reservoirs to stop indiscriminate drawal of water solely for power generation by Telangana and direct the river board to visit the sites of “unauthorised” projects of the latter first, before visiting RLIS site.
Stating that Telangana continues to violate the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act blatantly, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said Telangana’s unilateral actions were causing distress and depriving AP of its rightful share in Krishna waters. In the letter to MoEF Prakash Javadekar, he requested the Union Minister to use his good office, intervene and issue necessary instructions for issuance of environmental clearance (EC) to RLIS early.
Meanwhile, a few senior engineers in Irrigation Department of Telangana, who spoke to The Hindu, said the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s letter to MoEF amounts to openly influencing an independent committee (EAC) for taking decision in favour of Andhra Pradesh by intervening the proceedings of the panel and instruct it to clear the project (RLIS).
In a letter to the Member-Secretary of EAC on River Valley Projects, Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) of Telangana Rajat Kumar requested to consider facts such as want of water allocation by the Central Water Commission (CWC), the ground on which EC was not recommended to Sita-Rama LI of Telangana, while appraising RLIS for EC on July 7.
He also brought to the expert panel’s notice that Pothireddypadu Head Regulator system itself was an unauthorised project not approved by CWC and its expansion along with RLIS would adversely impact the eco-system of the region as several wildlife sanctuaries – Rollapadu, Gundla Brahmeswaram, Lanka Malleswara, Penusila Narasimha, Rajiv Gandhi and others – exists within 10 km radius of the project canals.
On the other hand, Telangana filed a contempt petition in NGT Chennai on Monday on RLIS works and requested physical inspection by the tribunal to view the aggravated form of the contempt, restrain AP for executing RLIS taken up without any approvals and EC and initiate action against the agency executing it.