The Telangana government recently sought the Centre's help to mediate the bitter and longstanding feud between the state and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh over the waters of the Krishna and the Godavari rivers.
Following this, AP Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today chaired a Cabinet meeting in his Velagapudi camp office to discuss the contentious issue.
At the meeting, Reddy reportedly objected to the KCR government's decision to begin electricity production at the Srisailam dam, constructed across the Krishna in AP's Kurnool district, and said that his government would urge the Centre to address the matter. It was then decided that the Cabinet, like its counterpart in Telangana, would also approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his help.
Addressing the matter, Jagan fumed, "Telangana has blatantly ignored the objections raised by both the Krishna River Management Board and our government. It has gone ahead with its plans to take up electricity production at Srisailam. The water level at the reservoir is already quite low at the moment. In this context, the production process will be detrimental for the project. Since the Telangana government has not heeded our warnings, we have now decided to write a letter to PM Modi notifying him of the matter."
He expressed displeasure at the TRS regime's stance on the water feud, and lambasted the latter for proceeding with several "illegal" irrigation projects.
The AP CM added, "The Telangana government did not get the permissions and clearances required for several of its irrigation projects and then went on to level false charges against us for not doing so. I would have taken a much stronger stand on the issue already. However, I have not done so as many natives of AP are currently residing in Telangana. If I say too much about the Krishna water controversy, those people may have to face the ire of those displeased with my remarks."
The acrimonious water feud between AP and Telangana has been an issue for years now. As the feud between them rages on, some months ago they had both sought the Centre's intervention in the matter. This had prompted union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to instruct the CMs of the two states to
submit Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of their respective states' new irrigation projects for the sanctioning of the same.
While this could have been an important step in resolving the dispute, it is evident that it has not had much of an impact on lessening the conflict.