Telugu Desam Party senior leader Gali Muddukrishnam Naidu has suggested that the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governments join hands in their struggle against the projects being constructed across Krishna and Godavari rivers “illegally” by upper riparian States of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
He expressed concern over the situation when the projects once completed would render the two lower riparian States dry and in view of this, it was appropriate for the two States to set aside the differences and work together.
Lift irrigation scheme
Mr. Naidu expressed concern over the reports that the Telangana Government was opposing Purushottapatnam lift irrigation scheme proposed by the AP Government to cater to drinking water needs of East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts.
Purushottapatnam was conceived as part of the Polavaram multi-purpose project and it envisaged harnessing water that was going waste into the sea every year.
There was no point in Telangana Government opposing the project.
The Telangana Government had, in fact, taken up several projects on Godavari like Kaleswaram and Dindi and Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation schemes on Krishna river.
The Government had called for tenders for works on the projects in spite of the fact that they would need the permission of the Krishna River Management Board, Central Water Commission and other agencies as they did not find mention in the AP Reorganisation Act.
Pending projects
Pending projects of the erstwhile united AP Galeru-Nagari, Handri-Neeva, Telugu Ganga, Velugodu and Kalwakurthy were recognised as part of the bifurcation.
