AP, Telangana can't depend on Krishna river, says K Chandrasekhar Rao

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said Telangana state and AP could not depend on inflows from the Krishna River due to hundreds of illegal irrigation constructions in upstream Karnataka and Maharashtra.

While replying to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address to the joint session of the House, the Chief Minister said: “When I went to Amaravati for the foundation laying ceremony I clearly explained to AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu about this, ‘Better forget about inflows from Krishna, we cannot depend on it anymore; let us concentrate on im-pounding more waters from Godavari and its tributaries’.”

He said there were as many as 400 illegal irrigation structures built on Krishna and Godavari rivers by the upstream states that were affecting inflows into the two Telugu states. Referring to the fate of the Nizamabad district that was once considered the richest district in Telangana state due to Manjeera inflows, he said that it had become completely dry in the last few years. He added that unless the present governments took an alternative path to impound waters it would be difficult to meet drinking and irrigation requirements of the states.

Mr Rao said it would be prudent to depend on Pranahita and Indravati tributaries of Godavari than the main river.

Sriramsagar did not get much water last year, KCR says
Cautioning the AP and the Telangana state governments, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said both states could not depend on inflows from the Krishna River any longer.

“Several major projects have been built in Maha-rashtra on Godavari. Unless those dams are filled, we cannot get a single drop in the Sriramsagar project. Last year, not a single TMC ft of water reached Sriram-sagar, that is why I came up with redesigning and re-engineering projects,” he said.

He said the proposed Medigadda project near Kaleswaram would be able to divert huge quantities of Pranahita-Indra-vati waters, which would be impounded in a number of reservoirs including the Komaravelli Mallanna reservoir. “There is a possibility of diverting waters from the Mallanna Reservoir to Singur in Medak district from where, through the natural river course (Manjeera), we can fill up Nizamsagar and even the Sriramsagar project,” the Chief Minister said.