No Kusa dam, Andhra Pradesh CM told

CHENNAI: Lodging Tamil Nadu’s “strong protest” against construction of a check dam across the inter-state Kosasthalaiyar in Chitoor district, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami wrote to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, N Chandrababu Naidu, to immediately stop construction activities since the move has caused “great alarm and apprehension” among farmers.

In his letter, Mr Palaniswami reminded Mr Naidu that Andhra Pradesh should have consulted and obtained prior consent of the lower riparian State of Tamil Nadu before commencing any new work across the river Kusa, a sub-tributary of the Kosasthalaiyar river or in any stream/channel taking off from it.

“This action of the authorities in Andhra Pradesh will affect the natural flow in the stream or channel taking off from it and would obstruct the flow to the Veligaram tank in the lower riparian State of Tamil Nadu,” the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister told his AP counterpart on Friday.

Contending that the “unilateral action” of the authorities in Andhra Pradesh has caused great alarm and apprehension among the farmers in Tamil Nadu, Mr Palaniswami said the Kusa river, a sub-tributary of Kosasthalaiyar river, supports an ayacut of about 354.32 acres fed by the Veligaram tank in Tamil Nadu.

Any intervention of the flow to this tank is of great concern to the farmers who depend on the waters of this tank, the Chief Minister told Mr Naidu. “I also request you to immediately intervene in the matter and issue instructions to the officials concerned to stop the construction activities of the Check Dams at Nelavayl Village and also not to take up any diversion works/check dam works across Kusa or in any tributaries or sub–tributaries of Kosasthalaiyar river without obtaining the prior concurrence of the Government of Tamil Nadu and also to furnish full details of the check dam under construction / proposed to be constructed in the sub-tributaries, tributaries etc., in the Kosasthalaiyar river,” Mr Palanisami said in the letter.