TDP activists stage protest against Krishna water award

‘State government failed to present its case effectively’

TDP activists staging a demonstration on the Narketpally-Addanki By-pass road, opposing the verdict of the Brajesh Kumar tribunal on sharing of Krishna water, in Nalgonda on Sunday. Photo: Singam Venkataramana

Saying that Andhra Pradesh has got a raw deal in the final verdict of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II) led by Justice Brajesh Kumar, the Telugu Desam Party district wing staged a dharna on the Narketpally-Addanki Highway at Marriguda.

The protesters squatted on the road, obstructing the vehicular traffic for more than half an hour and serpentine queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road at Marriguda.

‘A death blow for AP’

Alleging that the KWDT-II verdict would spell doom for Andhra Pradesh, especially the farmers, Nalgonda constituency in-charge of TDP, Kancherla Bhupal Reddy, demanded the State government to move to Supreme Court to get justice to the State by appointing able advocates in the matter.

Almatti dam

Objecting to KWDT-II award of allowing the water storage level at

>Almatti dam up to 524.256 meters, Mr. Reddy said that it would deliver a death blow on the farmers in AP.

He flayed the ruling Congress for failing in presenting strong arguments before the tribunal adding that the TDP would see that the water storage level in Almatti dam is restricted to 519.6 meters. Asking the State government to convene an all party meeting to discuss the tribunal verdict, besides eliciting opinions of irrigation experts on the issue, he said that raw deal was the result of failure of successive Congress governments in the State as they had failed in presenting strong arguments before the Tribunal.

TDP leaders Boinapally Krishna Reddy, Regatta Mallikarjuna Reddy and others took part in the protest.