Hyderabad/Hosapete : Expressing confidence that the Centre would resolve the long-pending dispute, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday urged Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil to find a permanent solution to the interstate Tungabhadra river water-sharing issue.
Revanth made the appeal after attending the inauguration of the newly installed 33 spillway crest gates of the Tungabhadra Dam at Hosapete, alongside Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Patil.
Addressing the gathering, Revanth described the day as a “red-letter day”, saying it marked the first meeting of the three chief ministers chaired by the Union minister to discuss the Tungabhadra water-sharing issue. He said political parties should rise above politics and work for the benefit of farmers.
Revanth said that farmers were able to utilise only 5 to 6 tmcft of Telangana’s allocated 17.9 tmcft from the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, leaving about 10 tmcft unutilised due to various reasons.
Shivakumar described the occasion as “a historic event for South India” and said the three states had reached a consensus on measures, including de-silting the reservoir and examining a balancing reservoir at Navali.
Naidu called for interlinking rivers across the country, urging the Centre to take up the Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project to reduce floods, droughts and interstate water disputes.
Patil said the Centre planned to de-silt major reservoirs. “De-silting would enhance Tungabhadra reservoir’s storage capacity,” he said.