Telangana government has requested the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to restrain Andhra Pradesh from going ahead with the lining work of the Srisailam Right Main Canal (SRMC) in violation of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order.
The canal (SRMC) takes off from Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and carries water to Bhanakacherla Cross Regulator from where the Srisialm Right Bank Canal (SRBC), Telugu Ganga Project main canal and an escape channel take-off to carry water further to meet different irrigation systems in A.P. The SRMC runs for a length of 16.340 km from Pothireddypadu HR.
A major portion of the lining work of SRMC as part of the work mentioned in GO.203 issued by A.P. government on May 5, 2020, has been completed already in violation of the NGT order issued on December 17, 2021.
In the order, the NGT had directed the A.P. government not to go ahead with the works related to Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), of which lining of SRMC to carry a higher volume of water is a part, Engineer-in-Chief of Telangana C. Muralidhar explained in a letter addressed to KRMB chairman Shiv Nandan Kumar on Friday.
The Telangana ENC has expressed fears that completion of the illegal work of lining of SRMC would facilitate A.P. diversion of higher volume of Krishna water from Srisailam reservoir to outside the basin areas. As per the 1977 inter-state agreement, A.P. is not permitted to divert more than 1,500 cusecs water from Srisailam reservoir through Pothireddypadu HR.
The ENC requested the KRMC chairman to take immediate and effective steps to stop the ““illegal activity” of the A.P. government and protect the genuine, legitimate interests and claims of the people of Telangana in the Krishna waters.
