Telangana asks Krishna River Board to stop Lift Irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh

The K Chandrashekar Rao government has escalated its objections over the works on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme of Andhra Pradesh.

On Tuesday, Telangana irrigation officials reportedly wrote to the Krishna River Management Board to stop “the illegal construction activity,” to protect the legitimate claims of the Telangana people over the Krishna waters.

The Jagan Mohan Reddy government had in May last year initiated the project intended to draw three TMC per day from the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator on the Srisailam reservoir and had allocated Rs 6,829 crore for the scheme and supporting canal system.

While Rao depicted RLIS as an “attempt to usurp Telangana's water rights,” Reddy said the lift is essential to provide water for the chronically drought-prone areas of Rayalaseema and Nellore, Prakasam districts.

The TRS government had approached the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court over the water issues with AP.

In its meeting on Saturday, the Telangana Cabinet has “condemned the AP government for not paying heed to the instructions of the NGT and the Centre.”

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government is preparing an action plan for the construction of the Neradi barrage over the Vamsadhara river near the AP-Odisha border in Srikakulam district, after the Vamsadhara water disputes tribunal approved the project earlier this week.

Welcoming the judgment, CM Reddy on Tuesday said he would invite Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the foundation ceremony. “Our policy is to move forward with cooperation (with the neighbouring states),” Reddy said, adding that the tribunal verdict is beneficial to both AP and Odisha.