"Your kind intervention is sought in this regard," YS Jagan Mohan Redddy urged the PM. (File)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday sought the Centre's immediate intervention to stop Telangana from illegally drawing water from river Krishna for power generation.
The Chief Minister also wanted Central Industrial Security Force personnel to be posted at all the common reservoirs (between AP and Telangana) on river Krishna for protection and also safeguarding the interests of the state.
The Chief Minister wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard and marked a copy to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, enclosing the various letters written by the Andhra Pradesh Engineer-in-Chief (Water Resources), the Krishna River Management Board and the GO issued by Telangana.
"Your kind intervention is sought in this regard and I further request that a direction be given to the state of Telangana to stop illegal drawal of water for power generation without orders from the KRMB.The unauthorised drawals should be accounted for as utilisation by Telangana against the agreed allocation of 299 tmc ft," the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister.
He wanted the Centre to immediately notify the jurisdiction of KRMB to safeguard the interests of Andhra Pradesh.
"Inspite of instructions from KRMB not to draw water for power generation, the state of Telangana is unilaterally drawing water for power generation, violating the Standard Operating Protocol and agreements. Such actions of Telangana are not in the interest of good inter-state relations and adversely affecting the interests of the lower riparian state of Andhra Pradesh," Mr Jagan noted.
The Chief Minister warned that this would put the drinking water and irrigation needs of four Rayalaseema districts, SPS Nellore and Prakasam, besides the drinking water requirement of Chennai city, in serious trouble.
He enclosed a copy of the GO issued by Telangana on June 28 for generating hydel power utilizing a total of 8.80 tmc ft of water per day from Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and KL Rao Sagar (Pulichintala) reservoirs.
"This is in utter disregard to the orders issued by the KRMB (on June 17).These unauthorized drawals are causing a surplus at Prakasam Barrage (filled to the brim of 3.07 tmc ft) and discharge into the Bay of Bengal, resulting in wastage of precious water," the Chief Minister lamented.
Mr Jagan stressed that it was imperative that water releases be regulated as per the inflows observed into the reservoirs, available storages and pro-rata entitlements from time to time, as per the agreement and implementation mechanism.
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