Tamil Nadu to okay AP terms for canal maintenance

Chennai: Water managers in Tamil Nadu are likely to agree to with the terms and conditions of AP water supply department in sharing the maintenance cost of Sai Ganga canal that supplies water to Chennai.

An official delegation from AP, which met chief secretary Girija Vaidyanthan, has requested Rs 362 crore from TN towards the maintenance of channels that supply water to Chennai.

According to highly placed secretariat sources, a three-member delegation comprising chief engineer from Andhra water supply department discussed about the maintenance issues related to the canals connecting Andhra border with the Tamil Nadu zero point at Uthukottai.

Tamil Nadu’s share that has to be released towards the Telugu Ganga project was also discussed in the meeting and it was decided to form a technical committee on the subject so that the maintenance project is taken forward.
Admitting that Chennai benefited from Andhra after the neighboring state CM Chandrababu Naidu ordered the release of water for the capital city, a government official said there are some technical issues that had to be cleared between the two states. Unlike Kerala and Karnataka, there is not much problem with Andhra, the informed official said.

“There are differences in claims over this between the two states and the minutes of the meeting will be taken up with the TN chief minister for further action,” chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan told the visiting delegation now in Chennai, secretariat sources said.

Officials of water resources departments of AP and Tamil Nadu were earlier scheduled to meet in Tirupati for further talks on Telugu Ganga water sharing, but the discussions got delayed to the political turmoil in TN, sources added.