The Hindu Business Line : State seeks Central help to stop Godavari barrage work

CONTENDING that upper riparian States have been attempting to draw more water than required , the Andhra Pradesh Government has asked the Centre to depute a team of engineers to Maharashtra to stop unauthorised constructions on Godavari.

In a letter, it alleged that Maharashtra had taken up at least 11 barrages on Godavari, causing concerns among farmers in Andhra Pradesh. "In order to avoid water conflicts and possible law and order problems, we request you to send a Central Water Commission team to Maharashtra to ascertain facts and take suitable action," Dr C. V. S. K. Sarma, Principal Secretary (Irrigation and Command Area Development), Government of Andhra Pradesh, said in the letter.

Mr Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Minister for Major Irrigation, briefed newspersons about the measures being taken by the Government to defend the State's case in inter-State water disputes in the Krishna-Godavari basin. He said it was found that the construction of Babhali barrage across Godavari in Maharashtra might result in a loss of 1 tmc of water in the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP).

The construction work, which was taken up recently, is against the 30-year-old inter-State accord. Dr Sarma had written a separate letter to his counterpart in the Maharashtra Government, asking him to stop work on the barrage.

Andhra Pradesh had sent a technical team to the project site to assess the possible loss. Mr Lakshmaiah alleged that the Telugu Desam Government didn't bother to act, though the project got administrative sanction in 1995.

Besides depriving Andhra Pradesh of water, the proposed projects would also cause serious damage to the environment.

With regard to Krishna water, Andhra Pradesh decided to present its case before the Central water tribunal by June 30. Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, had reviewed the inter-State water disputes.

The tribunal is scheduled to meet on August 4. Mr Lakshmaiah said the State has got a strong case, as the Supreme Court had turned down Karnataka's argument several times in the past.

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