Krishna river water sharing row: Security beefed up at Nagarjuna Sagar project
The Telangana police have beefed up security at the Nagarjuna Sagar project area in the backdrop of the rising conflict between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the Krishna river water sharing issue. Nalgonda Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) AV Ranganath inspected the security arrangements on Wednesday. The Hindu reported that besides Telangana Special Protection Force, around 100 civil police have joined the bandobast duty and the security is being overseen by two Deputy Superintendent rank and six Inspector rank officials. All the vehicles coming from Guntur's Macherla area are being screened, to prevent any law and order issue. A similar security measure was also being taken at the KL Rao Sagar Pulichintala Project in Suryapet district.
Though the issue between the states is a long standing one, it has taken center stage again as both states have been indulging in heated exchanges. Recently, Telangana Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy demanded that the Andhra government stop the construction of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme right canal, and argued that it was against the water sharing agreement between the two states and violated the interests of Telangana people.
Meanwhile, the AP cabinet chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has come down heavily on Telangana for drawing water from the Krishna basin reservoir for hydel power projects and decided to write letters to the Prime Minister and Jal Shakti Minister on the same. Speaking to the media, AP Water Resources Minister P Anil Kumar Yadav asserted that the AP government has been constructing irrigation projects as per regulations and using only the water that has been allocated to the state.
The Minister said the full capacity of 44,000 cusecs of water from Pothireddypadu can be drawn only if water level reaches 881ft in Srisailam and added that water level should reach 854 ft at least to draw 5,000-6,000 cusecs of water. He said Telangana can draw 6 TMC of water at 800 ft level.
While further flaying Telangana Ministers for using provoking language and verbally attacking former Chief Minister YS Rajashekar Reddy, he alleged that Telangana is committing a vicious act by generating hydel power, though the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has objected to it. Anil also said that the state government is ready to retaliate to Telangana’s actions by all means, and said that they would write to the KRMB explaining the issue. In 2017, amid a similar increase in tensions between the two states, irrigation officials of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had a clash at Nagarjuna Sagar and a police complaint was also filed.