Telanagana State braces for river rights fight with Centre

Hyderabad: The Telangana Government is gearing up to fight for amendments in the central gazette notification issued by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti on the jurisdiction and extraordinary powers accorded to GRMB and KRMB (Godavari and Krishna River Management Boards).

A day after the joint meeting of the two boards attended by the representatives of two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra, the TS Government has decided to write a letter to the Union Government against the objectionable contents in the notification which gave full powers to the boards and States are left as mute spectator in the maintenance of projects and management of Krishna and Godavari waters.

As the boards clarified they have no powers to amend the objectionable contents in the notification on Wednesday, Telangana State Irrigation officials will be discussing the issue with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao after his return to Hyderabad on Friday.

It is learnt that they would then write a letter to the Union Jal Shakti ministry. The officials said that "the TS government had lodged a protest for encroaching upon the rights of the state government in the maintenance of the projects.

The boards have no right to decide the functioning of each project which was constructed and maintained by Telangana. Delegating all powers to the boards was objectionable," they said.

The notification would come into effect from October 14 this year. Officials said that before it comes into effect, the government wanted to pursue and see that the Union Ministry agrees for amendments to the notification so that the rights of the State can be protected. "The government is consulting legal experts over the notification," said officials.

The officials also maintain that the boards have no right to instruct the State to stop the construction of the ongoing irrigation projects. All these issues would be mentioned in the letter to be sent to the Centre, they said.