Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will be holding high-level ministeral consultations over the Srisailam water row.
The meeting will be attended by Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister P Anil Kumar and top irrigation officials to discuss on the new irrigation project to lift Krishna River water from Srisailam Project and the water sharing dispute between the two Telugu speaking states arising out of the GO passed by the Andhra Pradesh government.
The meeting comes in the wake of serious objections raised by the Telangana government after the AP government issued a GO to construct a new irrigation project to lift 3 TMC of water from Srisailam project.
On late Monday evening, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao who held a high-level review meeting at his camp office at Pragathi Bhavan expressed his displeasure over the AP government “unilateral decision” in issuing the GO. He asked the legal department to mull the options before the Telangana government and decided to move the Supreme Court and also the Krishna River Water Management Board. The Chief Minister reportedly pointed out that the AP government had issued the GO move without the consent of the Apex Committee nor consulted the Telangana government. “It is an inter-State project. The said GO issued by the AP government is against the AP Reorganization Act. We should challenge this in Krishna River Water Management Board and also look at legal options,” KCR told the officials. As per the AP Reorganization Act, it is legally binding on both the governments to get an approval from the Apex Committee for taking up any project on inter-State rivers either in Telangana or AP.
On Tuesday, Telangana Energy Minister Jagadish Reddy slammed the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to draw water from Srisailam saying it was an immature and incorrect move especially when KCR was always in the forefront to maintain friendly relations with neighbors. “He always said we should not have a confrontational approach when dealing with neighbors and he stood by it in letter and spirit. However, this GO issued by Andhra Pradesh is not acceptable and the CM is very serious in taking legal recourse,” Jagadish Reddy said.
However, Water Resources Minister P Anil Kumar on Tuesday said the Andhra Pradesh government will not do anything that goes against the interests of Telangana. What emerges out of the high-level meeting will be keenly watched by the Telangana government which is poised to enter into a legal tussle.
