Harish alleges bid to undermine Telangana water interests through GRMB agenda
BRS deputy floor leader and former Minister T. Harish Rao on Wednesday alleged that the agenda for the upcoming Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) meeting
BRS deputy floor leader and former Minister T. Harish Rao on Wednesday alleged that the agenda for the upcoming Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) meeting, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on August 18, reflects an attempt to undermine Telangana’s water interests and sought an immediate response from the State government. He accused the Congress government of maintaining a ‘conspicuous silence’ on the issue. Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Mr. Rao said the GRMB meeting includes proposals from Andhra Pradesh seeking a review of approvals granted to several major irrigation projects in Telangana. Demanding that the proposals relating to Telangana projects be dropped from the GRMB agenda, Mr. Rao said Telangana MPs should raise the matter in Parliament.
He asserted that the BRS would oppose any attempt to curtail the State’s water rights and warned of a large-scale agitation if necessary to protect Telangana’s share of river waters. Rao said Andhra Pradesh had sought a review or suspension of permissions granted to projects such as Kaleshwaram, Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme, Chinna Kaleshwaram, Chanaka-Korata, Modikunta Vagu, Kadem Gudem Lift and Choutuppalli Hanumantha Rao projects. Andhra Pradesh had also raised objections to clearances granted for the proposed Sammakka Barrage (Tupakulagudem), he claimed. Questioning the rationale behind revisiting approvals already granted by central agencies, Mr. Rao said the previous K.
Chandrasekhar Rao-led government had secured permissions for utilisation of 383 tmc ft of Godavari waters and that the present government had failed to obtain approvals for any additional allocations. He argued that projects approved by the Technical Advisory Committee after scrutiny by various Central government departments could not be arbitrarily reviewed or cancelled. The BRS leader also criticised the State government over what he described as poor utilisation of Godavari and Krishna waters. He alleged that the Congress government was not lifting available water effectively form Godavari River. Rao expressed concern over Andhra Pradesh’s reported contention that Telangana did not have a 968 tmc ft allocation from the Godavari river.
He said the allocation was reflected in submissions made during the State bifurcation process and had also been recorded in the proceedings of an earlier GRMB meeting. Seeking clarification from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Mr. Rao alleged that the government was not adequately safeguarding Telangana’s interests. He also called upon Union Ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar to state their stand on the issue.
The BriefWire