HYDERABAD: In the seesaw battle between the two sibling states, Telanagna gained an upper hand on Wednesday when the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone), Chennai issued an interim stay order on the construction of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme by Andhra Pradesh government at Pothireddypadu. The project is aimed at augmenting withdrawal of Krishna river water from Srisailam reservoir by six to eight tmcft a day. The AP government initiated the project by issuing a GO recently in which an allocation of `6,829 crore was made.
Pothireddypadu issue: NGT orders formation of panel
According to the petitioner’s counsel, advocate Sravan Kumar, NGT has directed to appoint a committee consisting of senior officials from Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Central Pollution Control Board, IIT Hyderabad and KRMB to look into the issues related to the matter and submit a detailed report within two months. It has also directed the AP government not to take up any works related to the lift irrigation scheme until the report is submitted and further orders are issued.
The NGT issued the interim order on petition filed by Gavinolla Srinivas, a farmer from Narayanpet district of Telangana. In his petition, Srinivas prayed NGT to issue orders declaring initiation of Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme as illegal for not obtaining prior Environment Clearance from MoEF, to direct MoEF to conduct social and environment impact assessment studies and restrain the AP government from taking up the project as it has no approval from the KRMB as per Section 84 of the AP Reorganisation Act.
In his petition, Srinivas mentioned that he had approached the MoEF regarding the matter, but due to the inaction by ministry, he had approached the NGT. He alleged that if the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme is taken up by the AP government, then it will affect interests of many farmers like him in erstwhile Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and Khammam districts, which depend on water from Srisailam reservoir released through the Palamuru Rangareddy and Kalwakurthy lift irrigation schemes.