Its Centre’s responsibility to stop AP from excess water utilization: Revanth Reddy
Revanth Reddy asks officials to lodge complaint with Centre against AP
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday instructed officials to release water to crops as per the plan from various projects in the State. The Irrigation authorities have been asked to take appropriate precautions by assessing severe hot conditions in advance in summer and also be vigilant for the next three months.
The officials should conduct field visits regularly and take action by monitoring the situation at the field level, the Chief Minister said, making it clear that all necessary precautions should be taken so that farmers do not face any hurdles and protect the crops in the heat conditions.
Revanth Reddy along with Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy held a meeting with senior Irrigation department officials at the Integrated Command Control Center here and reviewed availability of water in the projects and the release of water for irrigation needs in the State.
The officials briefed Revanth Reddy about water levels in the projects and reservoirs and the utilisation of water sources in the major projects including Srisailam, Nagarjuna sagar and SRSP. The Chief Minister alerted the officials to utilize available water in the projects judiciously to meet drinking water and irrigation needs without any water crisis in summer.
Revanth Reddy emphasized that the next three months were very crucial and water demand for irrigation, drinking water and electricity will increase significantly in all parts of the State. He instructed the district Collectors to take special initiatives to provide drinking water and irrigation water to the people without any hurdles. The district officials have been asked to hold meetings immediately and prepare action plans district wise for water management.
The Collectors of the districts concerned will also hold reviews with irrigation engineers on the ayacut, crops and water release under the Nagarjuna Sagar and SRSP projects.
The Chief Minister suggested that the district Collectors should visit the projects, canals, crops in ayacut and review the release of water. He ordered Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to finalize the agenda and hold a teleconference with the Collectors and issue appropriate orders.
Revanth Reddy instructed irrigation officials to be vigilant in utilizing Krishna water from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar. Referring to exploitation of water resources by the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, he asked the Irrigation department officials to be more alert in utilising river Krishna water from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects.
He asserted that the telemetry system is the only solution to prevent AP from utilising water excess than the prescribed quota. The officials brought to the attention of Revanth Reddy that the AP government was not coming forward to pay their share of funds required for the installation of the telemetry system.
The Chief Minister instructed Irrigation Principal Secretary Rahul Bojja to write a letter to the KRMB immediately informing all the funds required for the implementation of the telemetry system are being paid by Telangana government first and to take necessary steps for the telemetry immediately.
He reminded that the responsibility of allocation of water share between two States and calculating the consumption of water shares lies with the Central Water Commission. He also asked the officials to lodge a complaint with the Central government against the shifting of water by Andhra Pradesh unilaterally.
Revanth Reddy said that the Central government should take the responsibility of stopping Andhra Pradesh from the excess utilization of water against the allocations
