Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments have decided to work in tandem and “you will see the results in all fields shortly. The decision was unanimous,” Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao declared after a marathon meeting of his Cabinet on Tuesday.
Mr. Rao said the two States had already initiated the process of mutual cooperation not only in the case of Secretariat buildings, but irrigation sector to exploit about 5,000 tmcft water available to them in Krishna and Godavari rivers. Eager to take water to all dry land areas in Andhra Pradesh, its Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has deputed a delegation of senior irrigation officials from the State to meet their Telangana counterparts in Hyderabad on June 27 and 28 to discuss water sharing. The next meeting between two States will take place in Vijayawada. If required, the States will conduct joint inspection of the river basins, he added.
This apart, both the governments have decided to work in close cooperation in various other spheres like movement of police forces across borders for occasions like providing security to Ganesh festival in Hyderabad.
The Chief Minister also said that the cooperation of Telangana extended with Karnataka and Maharashtra which was evident from receipt and supply of river water by Telangana and Karnataka on three occasions.
He blamed the previous governments for adopting a confrontational attitude on water sharing. Otherwise, how would one explain Brijesh Kumar Tribunal not giving its verdict on Krishna water sharing after 15 years of its constitution. He also criticised the Centre for not giving even a rupee for Kaleswaram lift irrigation scheme.
He said Kaleswaram will turn out to be the world’s larges multi-stage lift irrigation scheme constructed in the shortest time. The five pumping stations of the scheme will be switched on June 21 to release water in the presence of AP and Maharashtra Chief Ministers and the Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan at a low-profile function which will start with the homam (sacred fire) at 8 a.m.
