PNS | Hyderabad
Telangana asked the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to stop Andhra Pradesh from going ahead with its two lift irrigation projects based on Veligonda, which itself is surplus water based.
The TS government said that the AP government had given administrative approval for two new lift irrigation schemes — the Velagalapaya Loya and the Papinenipally Loya — to provide irrigation facilities in the Ardhaveedu mandal of Giddalur in Prakasam district at an estimated cost of Rs 51.16 crore.
“The taking up of surplus water based projects like Veligonda would be detrimental to the interests of Telangana which has acute drought prone and fluoride affected areas in its basin areas apart from the settled ayacuts of the Nagarjuna Sagar Project command downstream of the Srisailam Project and meeting the drinking water needs of Hyderabad. It is to be noted that around 85% of the arable area in Mahbubnagar and Rangareddy (old) districts does not have assured water supply and Mahbubnagar and Rangareddy district are 100% and 84% drought-prone areas,” Telangana said.
During the second apex council meeting the Union Minister stated that inter-basin transfer of water can be done only after fulfilling the needs of the in-basin first.
The letter of ENC C. Muralidhar said, “The Union Minister for MOJS in his letter dated 05.01.2021 cited directed Andhra Pradesh not to go ahead with the awarding, construction and implementation of new projects until the DPRs are appraised and approved by the KRMB and the Apex Council. However, Andhra Pradesh is ignoring the directions of the MOJS and is going ahead with the execution of the projects.”
Telangana said that on the issue of diverting Krishna waters outside the river basin, KWDT-I decided that in future more weightage should be given to inside basin use. He requested the KRMB to bar Andhra Pradesh from the execution of the Veligonda project and adding new components to it which are intended to divert water outside the basin.
