VIJAYAWADA: The gazette notification of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, bringing irrigation projects on river Godavari under the control of the river management boards, will not be implemented from October 14. The Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), which met on Monday, October 11, 2021, with the representatives of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, however, proposed to take over one inter-state medium irrigation project.
After a meeting with the officials of the two States, GRMB chairman J Chandrashekhar Iyer said as per the gazette, they could not take control of the projects unless the States handed over them. The GRMB proposed to take over Peddavagu project in Aswaraopet mandal of Kothagudem, out of the 71 projects in the gazette. AP agreed to the proposal. The ayacut under Peddavagu is 16,000 acres of which 13,000 acres are in AP and remaining 3,000 acres in Telangana.
AP Irrigation Secretary J Syamala Rao told reporters that for handing over the project, the State government had to issue a GO. “Taking over a small project under its control does not do any good to AP. The Board should take over all the projects in the upstream Telangana as AP is not getting water in the lean days from river Godavari due to the unauthorised projects of Telangana,’’ he said.
Telangana said at the meeting that they would discuss the matter and hand over the Peddavagu project after the State government took a decision. The Board said for the time being, Peddavagu should be managed by both States and in the meantime, the Board would study it.“Heavens are not going to fall if the implementation of the gazette notification is delayed by a few days,” Special Chief Secretary, Irrigation of Telangana Rajat Kumar told reporters.
Meanwhile, Telangana officials raised the issue of bringing the Sileru project into the purview of the GRMB. AP, however, objected to the proposal as the project is in AP and Odisha, and Telangana is no way concerned with it. “We have taken up the issue with the Centre also,’’ Syamala Rao said.AP and Telangana officials also questioned that if the Board is planning to manage only one medium project, then why did it require Rs 200 crore each from the two States towards seed money.