Make water allocations specific first: Harish

Hyderabad/New Delhi: The Telangana government on Friday opposed the Union government’s proposal to bring all the projects constructed on River Krishna in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under the jurisdiction of the KRMB (Krishna River Management Board).  

The T State demanded withholding of the proposal until the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal finalises its award for both the states. At the meeting held by Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi, State Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao objected to the proposal to bring the projects under the purview of KRMB. 

Though the Andhra Pradesh government supported the proposal, the Telangana minister raised objections. He contended bringing the projects under the Board jurisdiction without specific water allocations between the states will lead to exploitation of the water sources.

Taking into consideration the argument raised by Harish, the Union minister put on hold the KRMB and AP government’s request to bring the projects into the Board’s fold.  Harish said that the hearing on water allocation between two states was in progress at Brijesh Kumar Tribunal.

Without allocations to the projects, Telangana government will not support the AP Irrigation Minister Devineni Uma Maheshwara Rao’s demand to give authority to KRMB to oversee the projects.   

Stating that the Union minister agreed to visit the prestigious Kaleshwaram project soon, Harish Rao said. Under AIBP (Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme) Telangana was demanding Rs 450 crore for Devadula and Rs 35 crore to Bheema projects.  The minister also requested the Union government to exempt the loans taken from NABARD for the construction of irrigation project from the FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) limit. 

The Union minister responded positively and asked all ministers from the 18 states who attended the meeting to send their views on the particular issue. Harish also met Union Minister for Environment and Forests Harshvardhan and requested to accord stage one forest clearance to the proposed Palamuru – Rangareddy Lift Irrigation project. He thanked the Union minister for granting all environmental clearances to the Kaleshwaram project.