TS, AP take Srisailam row to Governor

The ongoing tussle between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over hydel power generation from Srisailam left bank canal was on Sunday carried to the Raj Bhavan as both State governments sought the intervention of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to protect their respective interests.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao met Mr. Narasimhan within hours of the Irrigation Minister of AP Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao calling on the latter with a request to restrain Telangana from continuing the generation. The Minister reportedly complained that Telangana violated government orders after promising to implement them. However, the Telangana government was unyielding as it continued generation by two units of 150 MW each to produce three million units on a day when the demand was not high due to steady rain.

Before going to Raj Bhavan, the TS Chief Minister held extensive talks with Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao and officials at the Secretariat when the violation of GOs in respect of SLBC power house were discussed. Mr. Harish Rao told the media later that the AP government was acting against the spirit of the GO issued in 2005 when the minimum draw down level at the project was restored to 834 ft. The level in the reservoir on Sunday was 856.4 ft.

The Chief Minister also discussed with officials the proposed presentation of the government to the Krishna River Management Board at its meeting on Wednesday to sort out the controversy. He enquired from them the contents of the petition to be filed in the Supreme Court next week complaining about denial of share in power produced by AP. The petition will also challenge the directions of the board, sources said.

On the other hand, Mr. Uma Maheswara Rao along with senior irrigation officials met the Governor to explain to him the problems both States were likely to face in the coming months if power generation continued at Srisailam.

In a brief interaction with the media later, he said the water levels in Srisailam were coming down alarmingly and there was a need to protect the ayacut in Rayalaseema under the right bank canal. He said more than 70,000 cusecs was going waste into the sea this year and there was a shortage of 73 tmcft in Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects.

Meanwhile, hydel generation at Nagarjunasagar, downstream of Srisailam, was stopped in view of submergence of villages under Pulichintala project.