Uttam urges Union Jal Shakti minister to prevent illegal withdrawals by AP
Hyderabad: The Centre has assured the Telangana government that it will help protect the state’s river waters by initiating immediate steps to ensure fair water distribution and prevent unauthorised withdrawals from River Krishna by Andhra Pradesh, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has said.
The assurance came from Union Jal Shakti minister C.R. Patil at a meeting with Reddy in Udaipur, on the sidelines of the 2nd All India irrigation ministers conference. Present at the meeting were Debashree Mukherjee, secretary, Jal Sakhti, and Telangana irrigation principal secretary Rahul Bojja.
“We secured a firm assurance from the Union minister that the Centre will intervene in addressing Telangana’s water concerns and expedite approvals for key irrigation projects,” Reddy said.
He informed Patil of Telangana’s increasing concerns over Andhra Pradesh allegedly drawing excess water illegally from the backwaters of the Srisailam dam on River Krishna, as well as from the right canal of the Nagarjunasagar project during the ongoing rabi crop season. He said that there was an urgent need for Central intervention to protect the rabi crop under the Nagarjunasagar project in Telangana, particularly in the undivided Nalgonda and Khammam districts.
Reddy called upon the Centre to take steps for installing telemetry systems at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar dams to enhance transparency and prevent future disputes. These systems are required at 35 points on Krishna river and at the dams. They can provide real-time data on water usage, ensuring adherence to allocated quotas, Reddy said, adding that Patil had endorsed the importance of having these systems in place.
The state irrigation minister also stressed the need for accelerated approvals and funding for various irrigation projects, including the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme (PRLIS), Sitaramasagar project, and Sammakkasagar project.
Reddy urged the Union minister to take steps to grant a national project status to PRLIS and thereby ensure full funding from the Centre.
Infograph:
Approvals assured for Sitaramasagar project within a month;
Musi project, Godavari-Musi link funding to be considered;
Centre to explore project funding at zero per cent interest, a 50-year repayment;
State asked to use World Bank-assisted Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project funds for dam repairs;
Centre urged to expedite Krishna water disputes tribunal-II proceedings.
