TS protests visits of GRMB teams to project sites

Board asked not to look at projects that exclusively serve Telangana

Telangana government has made it clear to the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) reiterating that it does not see any reason or necessity for the board to take over the management of any other project serving Telangana exclusively other than Peddavagu project.

In a letter addressed to Chairman of the GRMB J. Chandrashekhar Iyer on Monday, Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation-General) of Telangana C. Muralidhar made Telangana’s stand clear on handing over the components of other than Peddavagu medium irrigation project stating that would not be prudent for participation in the preparatory handing over notes pending approval from the State government.

Drawing Mr. Iyer’s attention to the proceedings of the eleventh special meeting of the board held on September 1 this year and the minutes communicated to the ENC’s office on September 9, Mr. Muralidhar mentioned that Telangana had requested in that meeting implementation of the notification in a phased manner by taking over few projects initially to establish the implementation procedures and protocols.

Further, it was also brought to the Chairman’s notice during that meeting that handing/taking over of the projects during the period of water regulation would adversely affect the function of water regulation. In the second meeting of the GRMB sub-committee held on September 17 and 20 it was concluded that information pertaining to projects furnished by Member States would be examined by the river board secretariat for preparing the field notes.

It was categorically stated in a letter on September 20 that cross-regulator on Kakatiya Canal of Sriramsgar Project near Geesukonda, cross-regulator on canal from Kondapochamma Sagar and cross-regulator towards Gandhamalla reservoir, both under Kaleshwaram project are serving exclusively Telangana and their drawals are monitored at canal head works and they need not be included in any of the Schedules of the gazette notification.

During the 12th meeting of the river board too Telangana had reiterated again that it’s only Peddavagu project that could be taken over by the board and that there was no reason or necessity for GRMB to take over the management of projects serving exclusively for Telangana, Mr. Muralidhar wrote.

However, the GRMB secretariat was unilaterally conducting project site visits without the involvement of any member of the sub-committee and thereafter preparing the handing over notes, also without the involvement of the sub-committee. “It is against the practices in vogue and not acceptable as such vistits and preparation of handing over notes need prior approval of the board or sub-committee,” the ENC said.