The State government and the YSR Congress Party have decided to launch a campaign and step up pressure on Telangana over the drawal of water from Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Pulichintala reservoirs.
A virtual meeting held by Minister for Irrigation Anil Kumar Yadav and Adviser, Public Affairs, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, attended by MPs and MLAs, set the tone for an intense campaign which would voice the anguish of the lower riparian State of Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Anil Kumar said Telangana should abide by the meeting held after the bifurcation of the State and help in continuation of good relations between the two Telugu-speaking States.
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“Telangana should stop the illegal drawal of water and stick to the allotment of water by the Krishna River Water Management Board. Everyone in the party should condemn the chorus against Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme by Telangana Ministers,” he said.
According to the agreement signed in the year 2015, Andhra Pradesh was allotted 512 tmcft of water and the State had been using it. Water was being drawn from Srisailam dam at 850 feet to the Pothireddypadu Lift Irrigation scheme at 44,000 cusecs, and when water level fell below 800 feet, it was not possible to draw water to the Pothireddypadu scheme, he said.
Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy said it was difficult to believe that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had been indulging in spreading falsehood against Andhra Pradesh. KCR had then supported the cause of Rayalaseema and now the party needed to expose his double speak, he said.
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“It is the intention of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy that we should explain to the people the reality and take the support of people in our fight. Telangana should stick to the agreement signed in 2015. We are again reiterating that we want cordial relations with Telangana. We do not want to take extra tmcft of water from the reservoirs,’’ said Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy.
Member of Parliament Lavu Srikrishnadevarayulu said he had met Union Minister for Jal Sakthi Gajendra Singh Shekawat and the latter had also agreed with their opinion. A meeting held between the then Chief Ministers KCR and N. Chandrababu Naidu ended in less than 90 seconds and the Minister said that he would ensure that the discussion ended on a fruitful note.
MLA and Chief Whip G. Srikanth Reddy said that Mr. Jagan spoke of the distress of the people of the Rayalaseema region and also of the plight of Nalgonda and Mahaboobnagar region as well. Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy said that the Telangana Genco had been generating power by deploying police personnel at the dam.
M.V.S. Nagireddy, vice-chairman of the Agricultural Mission, said the lower riparian State was unable to utilise water.