Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has agreed to ensure supply of drinking water to Tamil Nadu from an assured source in consultation with his A.P. counterpart Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The Chief Minister gave this assurance to a delegation of Ministers and officers from Tamil Nadu that called on him on Thursday. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister could send a formal proposal in this regard to Telangana and A.P. Chief Ministers after which there could be officers’ and experts’ level meeting of the three States for preparing a report and taking the issue forward, said Mr. Rao.
Example of inter-State co-operation
Once the officers reach a consensus for taking a final decision, the exercise would become set an example of inter-State cooperation.
The Tamil Nadu delegation, according to an official release, comprised of Ministers S. P. Velumani and D. Jayakumar, accompanied by PWD secretary K. Manivasan and advisor M. Sheelapriya. Telangana Ministers K.T. Rama Rao, E. Dayakar Rao, and Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, and Irrigation Secretary Rajat Kumar represented the State during the discussions.
‘Adopt a benevolent attitude’
The Chief Minister stressed the need for the States to adopt ‘benevolent’ attitude when it came to catering to the drinking water needs of neighbours. He recalled how he had raised the drinking water problem faced by Tamil Nadu and other key issues several times at NITI Ayog meetings while the TRS MPs had raised the issue in the Parliament.
Mr. Rao said the whole country should feel “ashamed” for the suffering of Tamil Nadu people on the drinking water front at a time when the country had a surplus of 30,000 tmcft even after catering to the irrigation needs of all the States. Effective utilisation of 10,000 tmcft of water would ensure that there is no drinking water shortage across the country.
‘Understand TN’s dire water need’
The Chief Minister exhorted the Tamil Nadu delegation to evolve a special strategy to fight for their drinking water needs and this strategy should take priority over every other thing. The country should understand the dire need of Tamil Nadu people for drinking water, he said, adding persuasion and sincere efforts would yield good results.
Mr. Rao, according to an official release, contacted Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy over phone and briefed him on his meeting with the Tamil Nadu delegation and his in-principle consent to provide drinking water to Tamil Nadu. The two Telugu States could co-operate and extend support to Tamil Nadu, he reasoned.
