Telangana: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, July 1, to prevent Telangana from ‘illegally’ extracting water for power generation and to deploy government troops to protect common reservoirs. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also requested a timely notice of the Krishna River Management Board’s (KRMB’s) jurisdiction, as well as protection from CISF and preservation of Andhra Pradesh’s interests.
CM Reddy writes to PM
In the letter, Reddy wrote, ‘Your kind intervention is sought here, and I request further that Telangana be directed to cease unauthorized drawing (siphoning) of water for power generation, without contacting the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB)’. Telangana withdrawing water unilaterally from its reservoirs will adversely impact the needs of four Rayalaseema, Nellore, and Prakasam districts, as well as Chennai’s basic drinking water needs. Telangana’s power department has been ordered to produce hydropower at 100% installed capacity, indicating that the neighboring state will use 4 tmc, 3 tmc, and 1.8 tmc water per day from Srisailam, Nagarjuna, and Pulichintala, respectively.
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‘In spite of instructions from KRMB not to draw water for power generation, the state of Telangana is unilaterally drawing water for power generation’. He described the state’s decision to generate electricity as contempt of KRMB’s orders to cease power generation. The KRMB was established under section 85 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, and is responsible for administering, regulating, maintaining, and operating water projects such as the contentious three. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also asked Modi to account for Telangana’s unlawful water diversion against the agreed-upon allocation of 299 tmc. He added, ‘I seek the immediate action of the Indian government in notifying the jurisdiction of the KRMB and taking over all off-takes from common reservoirs under the protection of the CISF, as well as safeguarding the interests of the state of Andhra Pradesh’.
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