Telangana Government has once again complained to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) against Andhra Pradesh for the latter going ahead with the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) Right Canal water drawal system in violation of the AP Reorganisation Act and sought immediate action.
In a letter addressed to Chairman of the river board M.P. Singh, Engineer-in-Chief (General-Irrigation) of Telangana C. Muralidhar also submitted photographic evidence of the work in progress on the structure to draw RDS water illegally. The ENC brought to the river board’s notice that a series of letters were already written to the board by Telangana highlighting AP’s going ahead with the work in spite of clear instructions issued by the board in the past.
“Civil works pertaining to the structure (regulator) with the provision for fixing of gates are in the advanced stage of completion and if allowed to go ahead with it the upper riparian State would deny Telangana its rightful share of water in RDS”, the ENC said and requested the river board to restrain AP immediately from going ahead with the work.
Mr. Muralidhar reiterated once again to the board Chairman that Telangana was contesting the allocation of water to RDS Right Canal and the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal was adjudicating the issue in KWDT-II at present. He asked the river board to stall the ongoing works till the award of KWDT-II was published.
It is stated that AP Government was spending ₹1,985 crore to divert at least 4 tmc ft of Tungabhadra water from the RDS Right Canal structure under construction to irrigate 40,000 acres. It was also planning to construct four more lifts to irrigate 5 lakh acres at the cost of riparian right of Telangana.
