Krishna river water protection committee of Telangana unit of Congress has urged the Central Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat to protect the rights of Telangana by cancelling the government order issued by Andhra Pradesh government enhancing drawal of water from Krishna river.
In a letter to the Union Minister, committee chairman Nagam Janardhan Reddy, convenor T. Rammohan Reddy, Telangana Congress committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and former Member of Parliament Mallu Ravi asked him to direct the Andhra Pradesh government to close the old Pothireddipadu head regulator immediately and also to account the water drawn for power generation.
The letter said that utilisation of Krishna river water for the projects outside basin - Penna and other basins except to those permitted before bifurcation of State, should be stopped as per the water laws as lakhs of acres of cultivable lands of Telangana are not getting water for irrigation in Krishna Basin.
As per the existing laws and Bachawat Tribunal Award Final Order, Andhra Pradesh has no right to transfer the surplus water outside Krishna Basin for either irrigation or for any other purpose, the Congress leaders said, and requested immediate technical clearance for Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS), Kalwakurthy LIS, Nettempadu, Dindi LIS and SLBC, which are all in Krishna Basin of Telangana.
