KRMB not effective in discharging duties: CM Jagan

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday demanded that the Central government notify the jurisdiction of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and bring all reservoirs in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state under the board’s control with CISF security.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said these measures will help in the effective operation and maintenance of reservoirs, in the interest of both the states and in compliance with the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

He stated that earlier he had highlighted the belligerent attitude of the TS in violation of the operational protocol of common reservoirs of AP and Telangana on the Krishna river on July 1. "But Telangana continues to blatantly violate norms and orders of the KRMB, depriving AP of water.”

 “Even from the Pulichintala Project which is a balancing reservoir intended for stabilization of the existing Krishna Delta System, the state of Telangana unilaterally continues to draw water for power generation. This is done even without the indent raised by the competent authority — i.e., the superintending engineer, IC, Vijayawada,” the Chief Minister said.

“Without taking any release orders from KRMB, this water is being wasted due to surplusing over Prakasam barrage to the Bay of Bengal.”

The Chief Minister further stated that the intention of the TS government was to deprive the state of AP of its due share of allocated water as the drawals will be delayed considerably and the water is being wasted by allowing the surplus to flow into the sea.

“As such, it was already requested that the KRMB may be directed to account for all these unauthorised drawals by TS against the agreed allocations of 299 tmc to TS.”

The Chief Minister said, “AP has already complained to the Ministry of Jalashakti (MoJS) on a number of occasions about TS violating all the established norms, principles and procedures in vogue on utilisation of river water and also brought TS’s unauthorised projects to the notice of the ministry. TS started the construction of new projects of Palamuru Ranga Reddy LIS to lift 90 tmc at the rate of 1.5 tmc a day at 800-feet level and Dindi LIS to lift 30 tmc at the rate of 0.5 tmc a day at 800 feet level. It is further enhancing the scope of Kalwakurthy LIS from 25 to 40 tmc at the rate of 0.4tmc a day at 800 feet, SLBC from 30 to 40 tmc at the rate of 0.5tmc a day at the rate of 825 feet to utilise a total of 200 tmc at the rate of 3 tmc a day.”

“Apart from this, TS is drawing 4 tmc of water for power generation at 796 feet level itself,” the Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister in his letter.

“In spite of repeated complaints before the MoJS and KRMB to prevail on TS to stop execution of illegal projects and unauthorised enhancements, without appraisal of the DPRs by KRMB, scrutiny by CWC for approvals of apex council, no effective step has been taken so far. Moreover, it has been observed that KRMB has not been effective in discharging its duties and is not acting in a manner which it is expected to when it comes to protecting the legitimate interests of AP.”

The Chief Minister said, “All projects in the AP territory are legitimate schemes having all approvals and allocation of waters by KWDT-I and mentioned in the 11th Schedule of the AP Reorganisation Act. It is to reiterate that AP is neither creating any new ayacut nor any new canal nor new storage under the Rayalaseema Lift Scheme.”

“It is only to draw water at a level of over 800ft connecting to the existing canal system to meet the drinking and irrigation needs of the chronically drought-prone areas of Rayalaseema, SPSR Nellore and Prakasam districts well within their allocations of 512 TMC as Pothireddypadu Head Regulator cannot draw any water below reservoir level of +854ft and full drawal can only be achieved at a level of +881ft only.”

The Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to stop TS from the indiscriminate drawal of water solely for power generation when there is no need for irrigation and to follow the established norms and protocols and directions of the KRMB.

He urged the PM that the jurisdiction of KRMB be notified immediately and all the off-takes that include water for irrigation, power and drinking water on common reservoirs of both the states be kept under the control of KRMB with CISF security for effective operation and maintenance in the interest of AP and TS in compliance with the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act.