: YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy will go on three-day fast from May 16 to 18 at Kurnool to protest against the “illegal diversion” of Krishna water affecting the interests of lower riparian State of Andhra Pradesh.
If Telangana draws Krishna water from Mahbubnagar itself through the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project without allowing water to reach Krishna delta, it would not only adversely impact Andhra Pradesh but also Khammam and Nalgonda districts in Telangana, he said.
Announcing his decision to go on fast at a media conference at the party headquarters here on Saturday, Mr. Jagan said that the fast was to protest against the failure of the State government to oppose the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project and the “indifference” of the Centre. “There should be a change in the attitude of A.P. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao and the Centre,” he said. Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao should realise that there were people in the other State too. The Palamur-Ranga Reddy and Dindi projects take away 115 tmcft and would stop the flow of water to the Srisailam project. “ If Srisailam project is not filled, how does Nagarjunasagar Project get water and what about ayacut in the Krishna delta and drinking water requirements of people?” Mr. Reddy wondered.
“Wake-up call”
“My fast is a wake-up call for every one. Even as gross injustice is being done to Andhra Pradesh, strangely Mr. Naidu has nothing to say. Only when Srisailam has 854 ft water level, water can be released down below. Today, the water level is only 780 ft. My fast will take these developments to the Centre’s notice,” he said. Asked whether he ever formally opposed the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project, Mr. Jagan said he had spoken against it several times, including in the Assembly, and now through the media. On the other hand, Mr. Naidu was doing his best to water down the Polavaram project. While only 2 to 4 per cent of work had been done on Polavaram so far, Mr. Naidu promoted the Pattiseema project which did not have storage facility.
Mr. Jagan alleged that Polavaram was changed into a project of scams.
When material cost had come down, the State revised project cost and even gave mobilisation advance to contractors and they were allowed to give sub-contracts on nomination basis. That was why the Centre was reluctant to release funds for the project, he said.
