Kaleshwaram - Don't award national status to Kaleshwaram project: AP
By Newsmeter Network Published on 15 Nov 2019 4:52 AM GMT
Hyderabad(Kaleshwaram project): The Andhra Pradesh government has appealed to the Supreme Court not to make Telangana a party in the Polavaram case, saying the villages submerged due to the hydel project are now a part of AP. It said Telangana doesn't have any right to object the Polavaram project.
In a counter-affidavit against an affidavit filed by Telangana, AP raised the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme aimed at utilising 450 tmc of water. The AP government called the Kaleshwaram scheme a new project, countering Telangana's claim that it was being redesigned. It said Telangana is also developing Palamuru-Rangareddy, Dindi and Bhakta Ramadas projects for utilising 180 tmc of water.
"Telangana government is just ignoring the interest of Andhra farmers and going ahead with Kaleshwaram project. Considering all these facts into the consideration, we request the Centre not to award national status to Kaleshwaram project," said the AP government in the counter-affidavit. The AP government argued that 80 tmc of water should be diverted into Krishna from Polavaram project as per the Godavari Tribunal award.
The Central Water Commission has clarified that Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi lift irrigation schemes were not in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014, said the AP government. It claimed that the approvals of the Krishna Board were also not given to the lift irrigation projects. Despite no approval from the Krishna River Board, Telangana is going ahead with the lift irrigation projects, said the AP government.
Telangana is demanding 45 tmc in Krishna water from Pattiseema to Krishna delta, Srisailam and Rayalaseema. "CWC [Central Water Commission] approved 150 feet water level in Polavaram reservoir. Spillway water releasing capacity is huge, and this will benefit upstream stats only. The submerged area will also be minimal," explained AP government.
BJP leader Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy has filed a petition expressing concerns over the delay in implementing the assurances given in the AP Reorganisation Act.
