The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Tribunal informed, says Ponnala

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Tribunal informed, says Ponnala

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah has denied reports that the government was sleeping when Karnataka is constructing as many as 55 bridge-cum-barrages across the Krishna river.

Speaking to this correspondent from New Delhi on Wednesday, he said the facts and figures about these barrages through which Karnataka envisaged an utilisation of more Krishna waters, thereby cutting into the share of Andhra Pradesh, had already been brought to the notice of the Krishna Water Tribunal.

He said the “serious grievance” of the State would be further highlighted before the tribunal on July 13 when it would take up full-scale haring from the State on its versions about the Krishna waters. Andhra Pradesh, in fact, was seeking a share from 734 tmcft allocated to Karnataka by the earlier (Bachawat) tribunal out of the river’s assured waters on the ground that all projects of Karnataka put together, including Almatti, could use hardly 413 tmcft during 2003-04.

Mr. Lakshmaiah said that in its petitions filed before the tribunal, Andhra Pradesh also sought surplus water of the Krishna as a prescriptive right, citing various projects being executed under Jalayagnam with surplus water as source. He said the tribunal was convinced about Andhra Pradesh’s stand so much that it had cleared six out of the 11 projects taken up based on surplus waters.

Meanwhile, the Union Water Resources Ministry recommended to the Planning Commission to treat Polavaram as a national project as it secured all the Central clearances, and fund its execution accordingly.

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