Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and his Maharashtra counterpart, Prithviraj Chavan, on Saturday signed an agreement here to set up an inter-State board for speedy execution of the Rs.40,300-crore Pranahita-Chevella irrigation project that will serve both States.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.
The Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi project, which Andhra Pradesh wants to be declared as a national project, envisages diversion of 160 tmc of water by constructing a barrage across the Pranahita river, which is a major tributary of the Godavari.
It further utilises 20 tmc of water from the Godavari at the Sripada Yellampally project. This project will irrigate 16,40,000 acres in drought-prone Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Warangal, Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts of the Telangana region.
As per the agreement, a joint inter-State committee will be formed to ensure efficient, speedy and economical investigation and execution of the project. To prevent any differences between A.P. and Maharashtra over the project, the joint committee will decide on the location of the barrage and the share of the expenditure involved for the two States. Mr. Bansal termed the agreement a “trendsetter” and hoped other States would follow suit in the inter-State water disputes. Mr. Reddy described the agreement as “historic,” as the project would be a “lifeline” for both States, particularly the backward Telangana region.
Water from the basin will be utilised for drinking, irrigation and industrial requirements by the districts of Telangana region, including the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad (30 tmc).
As per the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) report, dated October 6, 1975, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have agreed to take up the Lendi Project, the Lower Penganga and the Pranahita-Chevella at an appropriate time with agreed water utilisation.
The Lower Penganga and Lendi Projects are already under execution.
For the inter-State board, the Chief Ministers of the two States will be chairman/co-chairman on rotation and its members include the Ministers and the Secretaries of Irrigation, Power, Finance, Revenue, Forest departments (both States).
