The Telangana government on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) over Andhra Pradesh's plans to construct a new irrigation project across the water body.
According to reports, Telangana Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar wrote to KRMB stating that the project was 'illegal' and violated the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. He said that the project could not be taken up until it had the approval of the KRMB, as it would hurt the interests of Telangana.
This came a day after Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had accused the Andhra government of "unilaterally deciding" to take up the project which envisages lifting 3 TMC of Krishna River water from Srisailam project, a joint irrigation scheme of the two neighbours, and supply to its drought-prone Rayalaseema region.
KCR said the decision violated the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and asserted that his government would initiate a legal battle to stop the project.
"It is very painful that the AP government declared a new irrigation scheme without even consulting Telangana," he said. The Telangana CM held a meeting with ministers and officials on the issue late on Monday night where he said that if Andhra Pradesh transferred Krishna water, it would lead to problems in availability of drinking and irrigation water for Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Ranga Reddy districts in the state.
There was bonhomie between KCR and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy since the YSRCP came to power last year, as they agreed to work together in sharing inter-state river waters for the benefit of farmers in both the states.
Jagan also held a meeting with officials on Tuesday where the issue came up for discussion.
Sakshi TV, considered to be the mouthpiece of the YSRCP, reported that Jagan defended Andhra Pradesh's move saying that it would not utilise more water than what was allotted to it. He also accused Telangana of politicising the issue and blowing it out of proportion.
Stating that the Rayalaseema region, which includes the districts of Chittoor, Nellore, Anantapur and Kadapa, was in dire need of water, Jagan said that the widening of the Pothireddypadu canal should be seen as a 'humanitarian' issue.
The KRMB is now expected to hold talks and mediations between the two states.
PTI inputs