KCR, Jagan to meet on Aug 5 over water dispute between states

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will meet on August 5 to discuss over the construction of irrigation projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers. This comes after the union minister for Jal Sakthi Gajendra Singh Shekhawat call for an apex council meeting on river water disputes between the two Telugu speaking states.

It is learned that both the chief ministers will attend the meeting through video conference to raise their objections on the projects taken up by the states. Later, the centre will suggest a way out to settle the disputes over water sharing.

Calling on the two chief ministers for a meeting, the union minister in a statement issued to both the states asked them to notify if they are available on the day. It is already known that the Telangana government raised a complaint to the Krishna board over the capacity enhancement of Rayalaseema lift irrigation project and Pothireddy Padu. Although two states complained over each other to Krishna board, no proposal has been sent to the centre to organize the apex council meeting.

The apex council was constituted as a part of AP Reorganisation act in 2014 to resolve the inter-state disputes as they have common irrigation projects like Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Pulinchintala on Krishna river. This is the second apex council meet since the bifurcation of two states. The first meet was held in August 2016 between the then chief ministers two states -- KCR and N Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of the then union minister Uma Bharati.