Asks AP, TS to stop work on RDS and power production respectivelyThe
initiative now rests with the central authority
The dams and power plants would be protected by central forces
TS to appeal in SC
Hyderabad: When two States quarrel, the Centre takes advantage. It was what happened in the case of Krishna water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State. Even before the Jal Shakti notified the purview of Krishna and Godavari River Management Boards (KRMB & GRMB), the KRMB authorities have written to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh asking them to stop power generation in TS and work on Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) right canal in AP. It could not wait since both the States have making a lot of noise about Krishna water. Meanwhile, the two States have been having copious rains for four days.
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Follow water release orders
Telangana was asked to stop using Krishna water for power production at Srisailam, Nargarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala. The River Board had written to TS for the second time in a month on this subject. In the first letter the Board said water could be drawn for power generation in Srisailam Left Bank Hydro-electric Station only in case of extreme grid exigency. The river board member L.B. Muanthang also informed that AP government had written three letters to the board requesting it to stop Telangana from producing power at the three dam sites. The member asked TS-Genco to stop production of power at the three sites immediately. “It is imperative to follow the water release orders issued by the river board,” the river board member emphasized.
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DPR not submitted on RDS
In another letter addressed to Engineer-in-Chief of Andhra Pradesh, another member of the river board Harikesh Meena asked the engineer to stop works on RDS right canal as the project was not appraised by the board. It was not approved by the statutory agencies. He said even the detailed project report (DPR) was not submitted, he said. He also wrote to Telangana government asking it to send a reply to the complaint made by the AP government that Krishna water is being utilized by the minor irrigation projects.
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A delegation of water users’ association of Krishna Delta in AP met chairman of KRMB M.P. Singh on Thursday and complained about the wastage of water from Prakasam barrage due to power generation without the dams at Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala being filled.
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Boards become active
The Krishna and Godavari boards would become active and dictate terms to AP and TS governments since the two States have been sparring at each other over power generation and works on RDS. Now the national agencies which work in close cooperation with Jal Shakti ministry which is part of the BJP-led union government would have greater leverage. The dams and projects in the two States would be under the watch of central armed forces. The police personnel in AP and TS deployed to protect the projects can take it easy. Teams of officials would be going to TS and AP to know the ground realities in power production and RDS works. TS government is planning to move the SC. The TS is demanding that the division of Krishna water in the component, allocated to undivided AP, should be made before the boards take any decisions. In the early years of division, it was tentatively agreed by AP and TS to share the Krishna water allotment made to the undivided AP at 65:35 ratio. The AP government has also been contending that the water share was allocated basing on the projects while the TS has been arguing that the allocations are decided basing on the States and not projects.
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Thanks to the heavy downpour during four days, the rivers are overflowing and power generation at Jurala project has been going on. Almatti and Narayanpur projects in Karnataka have been discharging 45,000 and 50,000 cusecs of water respectively towards Jurala.
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