Telangana to construct a new barrage if AP fails to stop work at Potireddypadu: CM

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has made it clear Telangana would construct a barrage at Alampur-Pedda Marur to lift 3 TMC of water every day for agriculture, if the AP state government fails to stop construction of illegal projects like Potireddypadu and others on Krishna river.

The CM reiterated that the Telangana is ready to protect the interests of its farmers and would not keep quiet if the AP attempts to render injustice to the Telangana in river water usage, and usurp the rights of Telangana and break all the regulations as it was done under the united AP.

The CM participated in the Apex Council meeting through videoconference headed by Union JAL Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday and made the Telangana state’s stand clear on the issue.

The CM explained in detail with data about the Telangana’s rights on Krishna and Godavari waters, its allocations to Shekhawat and lower riparian state of AP's CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

KCR said, “The injustice being meted out to Telangana in river water allocation has resulted in separate Telangana Statehood movement. The newly formed Telangana State has every right to get its lawful share in the inter-state water allocations. The irrigation water share that the Telangana lost under the united AP will be reclaimed and achieved under the Telangana.”

The CM said it was unfortunate and painful that despite Telangana lodging several complaints against the AP government for constructing illegal projects, the Center’s guidelines on the issue, the AP government is going ahead with the projects.

The CM condemned the Potireddypadu Canal construction, which he stated was illegally taking water from Srisailam project, which had no Ayucut and water allocation. This project is opposed by Telangana during the separate statehood movement, and yet the AP government is going ahead with it.

The following are the clarifications issued by CM to the union minister at the Apex Council meeting.

*The CM made a presentation with examples on the details of river water sharing and the allocations to be made to the Telangana State as a right. He demanded that justice be rendered to the state in this regard immediately.

*The CM said in the initial days of the formation of the Telangana State, on July 14, 2014, the state government wrote a letter to the Centre to constitute a Tribunal under the Interstate water disputes Act of 1956 and the Centre till date did not respond to the letter. Since the Centre had not taken any measure, after waiting for one year, the state government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The CM demanded immediate constitution of the Tribunal.

*However Union Minister Shekhawat, while stating that they would accept the Telangana demand, said that since the case is pending in the Supreme Court, they were not able to take any decision. Responding to this, KCR said the government would withdraw its petition in the Supreme Court if the Tribunal is constituted.

*The CM wanted the Terms of Reference of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-2) should be made under the AP State Reorganisation Act 2014 under Section 89. Allocation of water to projects should be done accordingly.

*The CM, in this context, brought to the notice about a law principle that river water should be diverted within the river basins. The CM also brought to the notice about the union water resources ministry’s guidelines that “it is only after fulfilling the needs of regions within one river basin, if there is any surplus water it should be diverted.”

*Against this background, the AP state government has no right to diver the Krishna waters outside the Basin. It is a good measure that both the union water resources ministry and KRMB made this point clear to AP.

*The CM clarified that all the projects continued in Telangana state are not new projects but were the projects started under the united AP. The projects are being constructed in accordance with the Telangana State’s government rightful share of 967.94 TMC of the Godavari water. On the union minister’s request for DPRs on the project, the CM said that all the projects details are in the public domain and there was no secrecy about them. Since there were some minor changes made to the projects, there was some delay in submitting the DPRs, the CM said and added that there was no problem in submitting the DPRs.

*As per the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, the entire water flowing under the then AP jurisdiction in the Godavari can be utilised, and if the AP has any objections it can approach the Tribunal under the 1956 Act. Responding to this, the union minister said if both Telangana and AP state give letters, Godavari Tribunal would be constituted.

*The CM also reminded the union minister about the letter by him (Shekhawat) to AP on August 20 to stop works on Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme. The CM lodged an objection against the AP, which went ahead with the tenders and started works on Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme despite the instruction from the Centre to stop them. The CM urged the union minister to stop the works on the projects with immediate effect.

*The CM made it clear that if the AP adamantly goes ahead with the construction of illegal projects, Telangana would not keep quiet but like Babli Barrage in Maharashtra, the Telangana government would construct a Barrage on Krishna river at Alampur-Pedda Marur. Every day 3 TMC of water would be lifted from this Barrage.

*The CM said if the Centre comes forward to solve the river water disputes between the two states through talks, the Telangana government is ready. But before that water allocations should be made, limits should be fixed so that the water boards would work efficiently.

*The CM said that the Minutes and decisions of first Apex Council meeting four years ago were not recoded properly. Today’s second Apex Council meeting Minutes, decisions should be recorded through videos and in writing, and after getting the signature of the union minister and CMs, they should be released officially

*KCR said it was an achievement for Telangana as the second Apex Council meeting decided to constitute a Tribunal under Section 3 at the second Apex Council meeting due to pressure exerted by the Telangana State. The matter was pending for six years.

*The CM felt that if the Krishna water allocations are made based on the complaints lodged by the Telangana State at the tribunal, the chances are that the state would get more allocations.

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