AP Decries Water Sharing Injustice, Seeks Shifting of KRMB to Vizag

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy on Saturday said they have taken control of the facilities located on the right bank in the state’s territory of Nagarjunasagar and assured that it will be operated as per the release orders of KRMB from time to time. In a video conference with secretary, ministry of Jal Shakti, Debashree Mukherjee, Jawahar Reddy spoke about the continued indiscriminate use of water at Srisailam project for power production by Telangana and collecting the same at Nagarjunasagar Project so as to maintain complete control of water releases from NSP on both sides to their advantage denying the legitimate agreed share of water to Andhra Pradesh.

The chief secretary of Telangana was not present in the conference.

Jawahar Reddy explained the historic injustice done to AP, as the control of facilities on the left bank in the Srisailam project was taken over by Telangana, although Srisailam project is supposed to be under the control of the chief engineer, Kurnool. He pointed out that control of all the off-takes on the right bank of NSP located in the territory of AP and the left bank is with Telangana. He said that AP is made to request Telangana for release of water through the right main canal.

The chief secretary explained the malafide intentions of Telangana to draw water exclusively for power generation through left power house of Srisailam without proper indent and release orders in order to store the same in NSP wherein they have full control of all the off-takes.

He informed that the control on the facilities located on the right bank in AP territory have now been taken and assured that it will be operated as per the release orders of the KRMB from time to time. He said state police will remain at the site to ensure law and order at the project site till a decision is taken on implementation of notification of the Centre on the jurisdiction of KRMB.

Jawahar Reddy stated that the request of Debashree Mukherjee to stop water releases was a good gesture. He urged the secretary to give directions to the chairman of KRMB to shift their headquarters from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam, to which Mukherjee agreed.