Telangana-center standoff likely on irrigation projects

Hyderabad: There appears to be a standoff between the Telangana government and the Union government on the issue of alleged illegal projects across Krishna and Godavari rivers being constructed by the two Telugu states. The differences between the Telangana government and the Centre got deepened ahead of the Apex Council meeting following the instructions given by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to the state government to submit DPRs of all projects and status of ongoing projects taken up across Krishna and Godavari rivers.

Taken aback by this, state irrigation officials said the Commission's move to question Telangana projects was 'arbitrary'. The TS government has got clearances for the construction of the projects from the Central authorities in undivided Andhra Pradesh. The CWC itself has given its nod to many irrigation schemes, including the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme. The Sitamma Sagar and Sitarama Sagar projects constructed on river Godavari in Khammam after coming to the conclusion that they were old and pending projects.

The TS government has got clearances for the construction of the projects from the Central authorities in undivided Andhra Pradesh. The CWC itself has given its nod to many irrigation schemes, including the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme. The Sitamma Sagar and Sitarama Sagar projects constructed on river Godavari in Khammam after coming to the conclusion that they were old and pending projects.

The officials pointed out that the government would not have got institutional loans from the banks to construct the projects if they were illegal. The financial institutions approved loan amount only after the required clearance certificates were submitted. All these issues, including the CWC's insistence for DPRs of the projects and the status of construction of the irrigation schemes will be brought to the notice of the Apex Council.

A decision on whether to submit DPRs again to the commission will be taken by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao after reviewing the contents of the letter sent by the CWC, officials added.