HYDERABAD: Raising objections over the ‘brisk progress of works’ on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project by the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government, Telangana’s Special Chief Secretary for Irrigation Rajat Kumar on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) chairman with a request to take immediate and effective steps to stop the ‘illegal activity’ of the AP government forthwith. “Protect the genuine and legitimate claims of the people of Telangana on Krishna river waters,” Rajat Kumar requested the KRMB chairman.
Kumar also wanted the KRMB chairman to refer to the series of letters submitted to the Board by Telangana to prevent illegal diversion of Krishna river waters by AP. He pointed that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed KRMB to send a fact finding committee to ascertain the facts and to take appropriate action, in case it was found that there was any violation of its orders by the AP government. Though Telangana requested the KRMB to send a fact finding committee to the project site to ascertain the status, no action had been taken by KRMB.
“The Council of Ministers of TS who met on June 19, 2021 expressed their strong displeasure over the illegal activities of the AP in executing works of the RLIP, in complete violation of the orders issued by the authorities, to divert more than 80,000 cusecs of Krishna waters from Srisailam reservoir, depriving water to fluoride-affected and acute drought-prone areas within the Krishna basin of Telangana, and depriving drinking water to Hyderabad,” Rajat Kumar said in his letter to KRMB chairman.