The Telangana Government on Tuesday alleged that Andhra Pradesh is not allowing possible flow of water to Nagarjunasagar reservoir from Srisailam project by diverting a huge quantity of unaccounted for water through Pothireddypadu system in violation of assured water allocation to different projects.
The issue of utilisation of excess water by Andhra Pradesh in violation of the existing Bachawat Tribunal Award was brought to the notice of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) established under the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act to oversee river water sharing between AP and Telangana, by Telangana Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao.
By meeting KRMB Chairman Ram Sharam and Member-Secretary Sameer Chatterjee here on Tuesday, Mr. Rao demanded that the river board initiate action against drawl of huge quantity of excess water by AP by setting up a fact-finding committee with subject experts.
“Should the exploitation go on unabated till the telemetric equipment to keep a tab on utilisation of water is established,” he sought to know from the KRMB officials.
Mr. Harish Rao went to the KRMB office along with Advisor to State Government R. Vidyasagar Rao, Special Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, Engineer-in-Chief J. Vijaya Paraksh, Officer on Special Duty D. Sridhar Rao and Chief Engineer of Nagarjunsagar Project (NSP) S. Suneel and explained how AP is diverting over 50,000 cusecs water from Pothireddypadu Head Regulator by showing less than even one-tenth of that quantity in records.
Responding to Telangana’s complaint, the KRMB Secretary agreed to send a high-level team on fact-finding task to Pothireddypadu.
“Even on Tuesday, AP has recorded that it is drawing only 500 cusecs water from Pothireddypadu, whereas the actual drawl is several times higher. It’s also lifting water for Handri-Neeva system too,” a senior official stated.
Stating that a team of experts had already found how AP was diverting huge quantity of water from Pothireddypadu during the last week of July, Mr. Harish Rao said the matter was reported to KRMB then also along with bringing it to the notice of the Union Water Resources Ministry.
Telangana has also decided to lodge a complaint with the Centre once again.
