The Rayalaseema Saguneeti Sadhana Samithi (RSSS), a forum of intellectuals fighting for the water rights of the region, on Monday organised a roundtable on the subject of irrigation water requirements of Rayalaseema and neighbouring districts.
The meeting was organised at the Youth Hostel in Tirupati. The forum adopted some of the resolutions seeking expedition of irrigation projects and legal status to the inter-State agreements on water sharing.
The forum sought that the Srisailam hydel project be converted into irrigation project to cater to the needs of farmers in the Rayalaseema districts, Nellore, Prakasam and southern districts of Telangana. As per the Schedule 11 of the bifurcation Act, the irrigation projects in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, including Handri Neeva, Galeru-Nagari, Veligonda, Kalvakurthy and Nettempadu, should be allocated with funds from the Central and the State governments. The agreements pertaining to the water sharing among the States should have legal status.
‘Renovate tanks’
The forum further sought that the Krishna River Management Board should have its office in Rayalaseema region. A special irrigation commission should be created for the region. The speakers also wanted that some of the important tanks in the region should be renovated immediately.
The forum functionaries, Dasaratha Ramireddy, Sudhakar Rao, Mangati Gopal Reddy and others took part in the meeting.
