Telangana government has requested the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to rein in Andhra Pradesh and stop the brisk pace of work going on pertaining to Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project (RLIP) taken up by the latter in violation of AP Reorganisation Act, River Water Disputes Act and National Green Tribunal order.
In a letter addressed to Chairman of KRMB J. Chandrashekhar Iyer, Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) of Telangana Rajat Kumar drew the river board’s attention to seven letters written to it by Telangana since January last year in the same matter and also referred to NGT order banning work on the project.
By taking up RLIP and expanding the water drawal capacity of the existing Pothireddypadu Head Regulator facility, A.P. is planning to draw 80,000 cusecs water from the foreshores of Srisailam reservoir and carrying out works at a brisk pace in violation of standing NGT orders besides the provisions of APRA and also the riparian rights of Telangana, Mr. Rajat Kumar said in the letter.
He reminded the KRMB Chairman about the direction given by NGT “to take appropriate decision in the matter at the earliest”, while passing the order in a petition filed by a resident of Narayanpet district on October 29 last year. He stated that NGT had also directed A.P. not to proceed with the work on the project and told the board would be at liberty to take appropriate action against A.P. on the basis of investigation conducted by it independently.
However, no action has been initiated against A.P. in spite of the fact that the neighbouring State was going ahead with the project with brisk pace of works. The Special Chief Secretary of Telangana has also attached a few documents and recent photographs on the progress of RLIP works.
Mr. Rajat Kumar also pointed out that KRMB had also failed to ensure that the NGT orders were followed by A.P. as that State was going ahead with the project work at a brisk pace in utter violation of the green tribunal orders. He stated that the photographs attached to the letter would make it clear that the measure of work going on at the site could not be simply taken as preliminary work required for preparation of the detailed project report, as claimed by A.P. some time back.
Telangana has also faulted the KRMB inaction of not sending a fact finding committee as directed by NGT so far and requested it again to protect the legitimate rights and claims of Telangana people on Krishna waters by stopping the illegal activity of the A.P. Government.
