Telangana projects hurting AP

Vijayawada: “Andhra Pradesh would suffer if the Telangana government goes ahead with the construction of irrigation projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers. Redesigning and re-engineering of projects, including Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Project, would lead to acute drinking water shortage in Andhra Pradesh.”

This was the unanimous opinion expressed at a roundtable by various organizations, including political parties like BJP and Congress, here on Saturday. The roundtable was organised by Rythanga Samakhya president Yerneni Nagendranath. The leaders, who participated in the roundtable, decided to bring pressure on the government to convene an all-party meeting and bring pressure on the Central government to protect the interests of AP in water distribution.

Addressing the meeting, former Union minister Daggubati Purandheshwari said the NDA government was planning to seek legal opinion on taking up the Polavaram project as mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act as a national project. As against the AP government claim of completing five per cent works, only two per cent works were completed, she said. She stressed the need to complete the Polavaram project in time to protect the interests of AP.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council C Ramachandraiah said if the government failed to protect the interests of farmers, all parties should take up a collective stand to protect the interests of AP in getting Krishna and Godavari waters. He said if the Telangana government completes the proposed projects, Andhra would be deprived of water even for a single crop.

He said the TDP government failed to react on the proposed projects in Telangana. Former Union minister Ummareddy Venkateshwarlu said AP has been facing a new challenge from the TS government. He said the state suffered losses with increase in the height of Alamatti from 519 to 524 metres. He expressed surprise over lack of reaction from the AP government towards the proposed projects in Telangana.

He said he confused whether the Polavaram project is a national project or a state project as the state government plans to take up the project on its own though the Central government assured to take it up as a national project. Krishna Delta Parirakshana Samithi convener K Shivaji said the state governemnt should oppose the proposed projects on Godavari and Krishna by the TS government and it should not mortgage the interests of AP.

Andhra Intellectuals Forum convener Ch Srinivas said the state government should form an all-party committee to protect the interests of AP. Completing the Polavaram project by 2018 is the only solution to resolve Godavari water disputes, he said, adding that the management of both Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects should be handed over to the Central government to resolve the disputes between AP and TS governments. The meeting decided to form a committee to bring pressure on both the state and Central governments to protect the interests of farmers of AP.

Interestingly, the Telangana unit of Congress took a conflicting view. TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy told The Hans India that the TPCC fully supports the Palamur-Ranga Reddy project. He said the Congress in Telangana was with the farmers of the state. He said, “We stand for the interests of Telangana.

We have no link with the APCC and its views.” The TS unit of the BJP is also in favour of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project and is keen that it should be completed in time. It is the duty of the Telangana government to clarify the doubts of the neigbouring state and ensure that it utilises only its share of the allocated water, it said.