Interlinking of Godavari, Krishna will further deprive Telangana, says Palamuru Adhyayana Vedika

Highlights injustice meted out to water-starved erstwhile Mahabubnagar and Rangareddy districts, demands swift action to secure Palamuru region’s rightful share of water resources

Hyderabad: Highlighting the injustice meted out to the water-starved erstwhile Mahabubnagar and Rangareddy districts, the Palamuru Adhyayana Vedika, an organisation dedicated to addressing water access issues for residents of the region, came down heavily on the Centre for its role in the Godavari-Krishna interlinking project.

The speakers termed the linking of the Godavari and Krishna unjust and called for steps for immediate cancellation. They stated that the Palamuru region, having endured displacement due to multiple irrigation projects, has been left without sufficient water for daily needs.

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The group demanded swift action to secure the Palamuru region’s rightful share of water resources. The leaders also advocated for the expedited implementation of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS).

They emphasised that the focus should be on addressing the acute water crisis in Mahabubnagar district by fully executing the PRLIS, rather than diverting resources to Nalgonda by transforming it into the Palamuru-Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme.

Participants stressed the importance of prioritising the needs of the Palamuru region, which has suffered for long from water scarcity. The PRLIS would not have enough water to draw from the Srisailam backwaters with Andhra Pradesh making the Pothireddipadu head regulator a perennial source to avail Krishna water.

The Telangana government should take steps to ensure that it would be able to draw water from the upstream Jurala project also. The Vedika leaders demanded the Centre to ensure that Telangana gets its rightful share in the Krishna and Godavari.

Prof Haragopal, Prof Vijay, Prof Kodanda Ram, Vimalakka and Raghava Chary, convenor, were among those who spoke.