In yet another turn to the ongoing controversy over the utilisation of Srisailam reservoir water for power generation, Telangana has claimed that the Centre has “allowed” it to continue power generation “till the standing crop is saved”.
This claim was made by Telangana Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao who met Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati twice on Monday in Delhi. Ms. Uma Bharati also heads the Apex Council to resolve water disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana under the A.P. Reorganisation Act.
Mr. Rao was in Delhi along with Irrigation Advisor R. Vidyasagar Rao to challenge the order of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), which directed Telangana on the use of Srisailam water for power generation.
In a detailed memorandum submitted to the Union Minister, Mr. Rao sought Ms. Bharati’s intervention to protect Telangana’s interests and save standing crops irrigated with about 20 lakh tube-wells.
“KRMB has powers to only supervise allocated water between the two States. It does not have the power to order sharing of water, as it did in its latest order [directing Telangana to use only 3 tmc ft of water]” it was explained to the Union Minister. It was also pointed out that board had only taken its views and passed the order without any reference to the entitlement and actual drawing of water from Srisailam reservoir by AP. “The order was passed unilaterally by the KRMB Chairman without the involvement or consent of the other members of the board,” Telangana contended in the memorandum and termed the order as “high-handed and arbitrary”.
The Telangana government also alleged that the chairman, S.K.G. Pandit, in his order, had falsely attributed a statement to the member of the board from Telangana that requirement of power generation at Srisailam was largely up to November 2. “In fact, standing crops in about 40 lakh acres under tube-wells energised by Srisailam power still need wetting, but it was ignored by the Chairman,” the Telangana Minister complained.
Sources stated that after meeting the KRMB Chairman and Member-Secretary in the afternoon, the Union Minister was understood to have felt that there was no need to give fresh orders allowing Telangana to resume power generation at Srisailam to save the standing crops.
