HYDERABAD: Despite their repeated meetings, the river management boards failed to implement the Jal Shakti gazette notification to bring the projects under the control of the Boards from October 14. The prolonged meetings of the sub-committees of Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) held at Jala Soudha on Thursday, September 30, 2021, didn’t make much headway.
The Boards failed to procure the information pertaining to the staff details of projects from the States. According to sources, Telangana agreed to furnish the details of the staff of Kalwakurthy, SLBC, NSP left canal and Peddavagu projects to the Boards. Similarly, AP agreed to submit the details of Polavaram, Purushottamapatnam and Pattiseema.
However, AP officials wanted to exclude Dowleswaram and other projects, which purely serve the needs of AP, from the purview of the board. The Telangana officials too stated that the projects, which are not common projects, and serve only the State, could be excluded from the jurisdiction of the board.
The AP officials, however, wanted that the SRSP stage-1 and stage-2, Kaleshwaram Sitarama and Devadula be brought under the control of the GRMB, as Telangana was diverting Godavari waters to Krishna basin through these projects.
The Telangana officials, however, refused the same. Officials pointed out that as per the Tribunal, the State could utilise its share of Godavari waters anywhere in the State and they need not give any share to AP in the same. The Telangana officials pointed out that as per the Tribunal, the State could draw 45 tmcft above Nagarjuna Sagar, as AP got the Polavaram project. But, the AP had not been giving the same share to Telangana. “The Boards remained as postmen since their formation. Those Boards, in turn, constituted sub-committees for the implementation of gazette notification. There is no use of sub-committees, which have no decision making powers,” said a Telangana Irrigation Department official.
Andhra Pradesh took up excess works, alleges Telangana
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench on Thursday said that it would complete the hearings on Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) of Andhra Pradesh by October 4. During the hearing, advocates for the Telangana government said that AP government took up more work than required for the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR). When the AP advocates sought more time for giving their arguments, the bench made it clear that the proceedings would be completed by October 4. Notably, the NGT said that if AP took up works in excess than the required for preparation of DPR, then the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh would be held responsible and action would be initiated against him
‘AP added components without approval’
Telangana’s engineer-in-chief C Muralidhar said that despite the two letters by Telangana in June and September to stop the expansion of the GNSS, Andhra Pradesh was adding new components to it without any appraisal by the KRMB and approval of the Apex Council. HE said the AP government accorded administrative approval for works costing Rs 305.70 crore.