Tension prevails on AP-TS border over Sagar dam

Narasaraopet (Palnadu ditrict): Tense situation prevailed at the Nagarjunasagar reservoir on Andhra Pradesh-Telangna border on Thursday when the AP police set up iron fencing and damaged the closed circuit cameras set up on the dam and forcibly tried to take over half of gates of the project into control to release water. AP and Telangana have equal rights on the project. Officials say though Krishna River Board Management allocated the water to the AP, the TS is not releasing the water to the AP and ignored the requests of the state government.

Against this backdrop, the Andhra Pradesh government deployed heavy police force at the Nagarjunsagar reservoir and forcibly took half of the project into its control. The police personnel reached the project site on Wednesday midnight. The TS- police did not allow AP police at the project site but AP police held negotiations with the TS police officials. Later, they forcibly took over half the gates of the project. They forced the project officials to release 2,000 cusecs of water immediately to the right canal to meet the drinking water needs.

Political observers opine that the surprise action by the AP government on polling day in Telangana was intended to benefit the ruling BRS. The Opposition Congress in TS even dismissed the development a gimmick by TS Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in connivance with his friend AP Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to derive electoral benefits. After the AP government rushed additional police teams at the project, the TS also deployed the police force.