The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), in a letter, has ordered the Andhra Pradesh government not to go ahead with the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and other projects mentioned in G.O. 203, which have become a bone of contention between the two Telugu States.
The KRMB further said it was writing the letter as per the directive of the Union government.
‘No approval’
KRMB member Harikesh Meena, in a letter to the Special Chief Secretary, Water Resource Department, Andhra Pradesh government, said the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (Water Resources) directed the board to instruct the A.P. government not to go ahead with the projects that were not “appraised” by the KRMB and the Central Water Commission (CWC), and also not sanctioned by the high-power Apex Council.
Mr. Meena said, “Since no new projects can be taken up on the Krishna river without the appraisal of the KRMB and without obtaining sanction from the Apex Council on the River Water Resources constituted as per the the A.P. Reorganisation Act (APRA), 2014, the action of the Government of Andhra Pradesh to accord administrative approval to the new projects listed in G.O. 203, dated May 5, was violative of Section 84 and Para 7 of the 11th Schedule of the APRA.”
The letter observed that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the projects listed in G.O. 203 had not been submitted by A.P. to the KRMB and the CWC for appraisal.
The Apex Council, under the Act, consists of the two Chief Ministers of the Telugu States and the Union Irrigation Minister.
‘Highly inappropriate’
Meanwhile, the A.P. State Water Users Associations’ Federation (APSWUAF), in a statement, said the letter was highly inappropriate.
“The KRMB is an independent body and should behave in the appropriate manner,” federation president Alla Venkata Gopala Krishna Rao said.
A meeting of the board, which also had representation from Andhra Pradesh, should have been convened to discuss the matter before despatching the letter.
The letter should have also mentioned the similar charges Andhra Pradesh made against Telangana five year ago, he said.
A.P.’s complaints
The A.P. government had taken to the notice of the board about the new projects taken up by the Telangana government “violating” the Sections listed by the board in the letter, he added.
The A.P. government had taken to the notice of the CWC and the KRMB about the Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi lift irrigation schemes as early as June 11, 2015. The A.P. government had also requested the CWC to look into the violations of the Telangana government in enhancing the allocations to the Kalwakurthi scheme from 25 tmcft to 40 tmcft on August 1, 2015.
The CWC and the KRMB, which were silent to the complaints of the A.P. government, were now finding fault with it for merely granting administrative approval, he said.
There were five projects that were being executed by the Telangana government that violated the sections mentioned in the KRMB letter, he added.
