KCR Thanks Fadnavis After Historic Water Deal

After entering an agreement with with his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai for the construction / completion of pending irrigation projects, an elated Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said that the pact would prove a boon for the irrigation and agriculture sectors.

"This is a historic day for Telangana and Maharashtra as we have entered a major agreement," KCR stated. "The cause of the Statehood fight is now turning into reality with Fadnavis' initiative, and I thank the Maharashtra Chief Minister."

Water was a major issue in the Telangana statehood agitation, KCR said.

The elated CM further added, "It is indeed a great and historic deal resolving a four-decade-old controversial issue concerning irrigation projects, and has been reached with resolute decision-making by the Maharashtra and Telangana governments. We want to have friendly relations with our neighboring States, and solve problems consensually. The previous united AP government had failed to address the problem."

Saying that Andhra Pradesh would also benefit from the agreement, KCR said, "The agreement gives Telangana ample scope to draw from the Godavari waters, after they leave Maharashtra. And we will then let the residual waters downstream, paving the way for Andhra Pradesh to use the same. I have already informed my Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu that the agreement would help prevent about 2,000 TMC to 4,000 TMC water from going waste into the Bay of Bengal. We are all Indians first, and we should make use of natural resources together, irrespective of our States."

He also invited Fadnavis to visit Hyderabad for the next meeting of the inter-State board that will be formed as a result of this agreement (KCR will be Chairman and Fadnavis Co-Chairman for the first year), and have Hyderabadi biryani.