Social activist Gavinolla Srinivas, who moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against Andhra Pradesh’s plans to divert Krishna water from Srisailam reservoir, was felicitated by the Narayanpet Zilla Sadhana Samithi.
Mr. Srinivas had requested the tribunal to stop AP from proceeding further with its Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and expansion of Pothireddypadu head regulator capacity ‘illegally’.
Convenor of the samithi Manohar Goud bestowed the honour on Mr. Srinivas at Narayanpet on Friday, and the body vowed to continue its fight against AP’s plans.
Mr. Srinivas said not only Narayanpet district, which is solely dependent on Krishna water for its drinking and irrigation needs, Jogulamba-Gadwal, Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts too, would be severely hit with the diversion of 8 tmc ft water a day from Srisailam.
“All the drinking water and irrigation systems dependent on Srisailam and its back waters would be denied assured water as AP’s plans would divert water in huge quantities, making Srisailam reservoir dry in a matter of a few days,” he said.
Stating that his legal counsel had told him that AP was planning to move the Supreme Court against the NGT order, he appealed to the Telangana government to oppose and fight any such move in every forum effectively describing how Telangana was meted out gross injustice all these years.
Mr. Srinivas told The Hindu that the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme would be badly-hit if AP goes ahead with its plans.
Samithi leaders Venkoba, Mogulappa, Ghouse, Madan, Naresh Goud, Bhaskar Reddy, Baswaraj, Mallikarjun, Mahipal, Narayanaswamy and others complimented Mr. Srinivas for being the representative of four crore Telangana people.
