Many opposition party leaders have expressed their strong displeasure over the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal
verdict, which was delivered on Thursday morning.
Expressing serious concern over the tribunal verdict, senior TDP leader K Yerrannaidu said that the state, which is also known as Annapurna, would soon turn into a desert.
He said that the judgment not only allowed the surplus waters of River Krishna to be shared by three States, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, but also allowed Karnataka to raise the height of the controversial Almatti Dam, from 519.60 meters to 524.265 meters, which was a severe blow to the farming community.
Pinning the blame on the state government for not arguing the case strongly, Yerrannaidu lamented that the state has got a raw deal in the verdict. He also accused the government of failing to protect the interests of AP's farmers.
Another TDP leader, Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, said that the agriculture in the state would be completely affected due to the tribunal verdict. He said the lawyers appointed by the state government had poorly presented their case before the tribunal.
TDP leader Kadiam Srihari stated that the verdict would ground the construction of seven irrigation projects including Nettampadu, Galeru-Nagari, Kalwakurthy, Handri-Neva and Veligonda, on the Krishna River. He said that both the central and state government should be held responsible for the goof-up.
CPI state secretary K Narayana expressed his displeasure over the sharing of Krishna's surplus water among three states, which was once the exclusive right of AP. Narayana said that ‘going by all accounts, Karnataka seems to be greatly benefited at the cost of Andhra Pradesh.”
Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday reviewed the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal's verdict at the cabinet meeting. He is believed to have decided to appeal against the Tribunal's verdict.
Courtesy: INN