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'Water war' begins in Nellore district
Highlights
‘Water War’ Begins in Nellore District, State Bifurcation, Water Wars, Drinking Water Project. In line with concerns in some quarters that bifurcation could trigger ‘water wars’ among the regions in the State, particularly over the sharing of Krishna and Godavari waters.
In line with concerns in some quarters that bifurcation could trigger ‘water wars’ among the regions in the State, particularly over the sharing of Krishna and Godavari waters, serious differences have cropped up in Nellore district over the beneficiaries of the proposed Rs 7,390-crore Chittoor Drinking Water Project.
The local Telugu Desam Party leaders have strongly opposed recently approved proposals to divert Krishna water from the Kandaleru reservoir to Chittoor district and demanded that the project be stopped with immediate effect as “there is no assurance to the people of Nellore district”.
The TDP legislators put their foot down at the Irrigation Advisory Board meeting on Monday and questioned Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy over the rationale of supplying water to Chittoor without bothering about meeting the needs of people in Nellore. The elected leaders of Nellore district asked the Minister to supply water to Chittoor district only after making assurance to the people of Nellore district.
At the board meeting, Anam was asked how the government proposed to supply water to Chittoor district, given the storage capacity of the Kandaleru reservoir. In fact, already about 15 tmc water is going to Chennai city for drinking purpose through the Telugu Ganga Canal (Kandaleru-Poondi Canal). Now, about 6.61 tmc is proposed to be diverted to Chittoor district under the new project.
CM’s dream project
During the centenary celebrations of the district two years ago, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy announced the sanction of about Rs. 6,600 crore to provide drinking water to each and every village of Chittoor district on a permanent basis.
Opposition legislators in Chittoor district have criticised the Chief Minister for neglecting his promise for about two years. It was in this backdrop that the state government issued an order (GO MS No. 14, Dt. 04.10.13) through the Infrastructure and Investment Department according administrative approval for Stage-I works of Phase-I under the Chittoor District Drinking Water Supply Project.
The entire Chittoor District Drinking Water Supply Project is estimated to cost of Rs 7,390 crore (first phase Rs. 5,990 and the second phase Rs 1400). The government also sanctioned about Rs. 137 crore for Stage-I works of Phase-I. The vice-chairman of Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh has submitted the status of Stage-I works, along with the population projections, and raw water demand for urban local bodies like Tirupati, Chittoor, Madanapalle, Punganur, Piler and rural areas spread in 52 mandals of Chittoor district.
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