HYDERABAD: Strongly objecting to the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposed Banakacharla project, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has urged the Central government to reject the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the project that is presently under review by Central Water Commission (CWC).
In a letter on Saturday, he asked Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil to initiate necessary action to prevent AP from submitting the DPR of the project to CWC.
Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that during a meeting held on June 2, chaired by Sajjan Yadav, additional secretary in the Ministry of Finance, state government officials sought an update on the approval status of the PFR by the CWC. In response, the senior joint commissioner in the Ministry of Jal Shakti informed them that the report was under active consideration of the CWC. Sajjan Yadav also instructed the AP government to submit the DPR by the end of the month
“Usually, only after the CWC approves the PFR, the DPR of a project is submitted by any state government. Does the Central government asking AP to submit the DPR mean that the PFR of Banakacharla is deemed to have been approved by the Commission? We strongly object to the Union government’s attitude,” said the irrigation minister.
Stating that Banakacharla violates the Godavari Tribunal Award-1980 and also the AP Reorganisation Act, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the project does not have any assured water allocations. Typically, in all such cases where there are no assured water allocations, the CWC usually rejects such PFRs submitted by a state government and never asks for submission of DPR. He further stated: “So, it is a matter of grave concern to us that the AP government is asked by additional secretary of ministry of finance in the presence of Jal Shakti officials to submit the DPR of Godavari-Banakacharla link project, which technically implies that the PFR of this scheme is deemed to have been approved.”
He made it clear that the proposed project not only contravenes the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act and Godavari River Disputes Tribunal, but also adversely affects the water rights of Telangana.
Allowing such a project would undermine the equitable and judicious management of interstate river waters and will set a precedent contrary to the statutory framework and natural justice, he explained.