HYDERABAD: Rejecting the request by Andhra Pradesh officials, the Central Water Commission (CWC) refused to take up another round of hydrological survey on the Godavari river at the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) meeting held virtually on Tuesday.
AP officials demanded that a fresh hydrological survey of the Godavari river be conducted to know the availability of water in the river as the Telangana government was constructing projects. Stating that they were utilising their allocated water in Godavari, Telangana officials said they had no objection to the hydrological survey.
However, CWC Director (Hydrology) Nitya Nand Rai said the hydrological survey on Godavari had already been carried out in the past. It’s not possible to conduct the survey again as it involves the participation of several States, he added.
Rai, however, wanted the States to approach the CWC chairman for a water study. The CWC director clarified in the meeting that there was surplus water in the Godavari river and that Telangana taking up projects doesn’t cause any problems.
TS proposals
When Telangana submitted the detailed project reports (DPRs) on Modikunta Vagu proposed in the Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district and the Gudem lift irrigation scheme proposed in Adilabad, AP officials, who participated in the meeting from Vijayawada, raised objections to these projects.
AP officials said the construction of these projects would deprive water to the State while Telangana rejected the stance and clarified that they are constructing projects to utilise their allocated share in Godavari.
Meanwhile, GRMB officials proposed to install telemetry equipment at 23 places on the Godavari river to keep a check on water utilisation. Telangana officials said the telemetry equipment was sufficient at five inter-state points.
Earlier, speaking to reporters, Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar wanted the GRMB to accord permissions to Telangana’s projects as any delay in according permissions would escalate the cost of the projects.
On the installation of telemetry equipment, he said that it should be set up even on Krishna river as the AP was diverting water from Krishna river illegally to outside the basin. GRMB should also focus on the Polavaram backwater issues and the new projects proposed by AP near Polavaram, he added.
Rajat Kumar recalled that the then AP chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy declared in the State Legislative Assembly that Telangana’s share in Godavari river was 900 tmcft.