VIJAYAWADA: The Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) has proposed to hold the first coordination committee meeting on August 3 to chalk out the modalities to implement the clauses of the recently issued gazette. Krishna River Management Board is also likely to propose a coordination meeting shortly to decide on how to go about the implementation of the notification.
According to the communication sent to both the State governments on Friday, GRMB Member Secretary BP Pandey said the proposed meeting would be held at the Board’s office in Hyderabad. The agenda includes “finalisation of detailed plan of action for the implementation of gazette notification dated July 15, 2021, and status of action initiated for implementation of various clauses of the said notification.”
Sources said the AP officials were likely to seek changes in the schedule of projects mentioned in the gazette notification. It may be recalled that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) issued a gazette on July 15 bringing 71 major and medium irrigation projects in the Godavari basin under the Board.
The State has raised concerns that some projects including Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, which are not related to inter-state water sharing and some which are outside the basin, were included in schedule-2. Schedule 2 projects are those on which the Board shall have complete jurisdiction.
The committee will discuss various issues including seed funding of Rs 200 crore to be given by each State, shifting of office to Rajamahendravaram, implementation of CISF security cover, smooth transition control of projects and its allied plants, pending approvals for “unapproved” projects as classified in the schedules of the gazette, and other issues.