NSP row: High-level meeting likely with TS, AP Chief Secretaries on Dec 27

The Centre is keen on discussing the whole gamut of issues involved in sharing of waters and strengthening of the conflict resolution mechanism.

Hyderabad: The Ministry of Jal Shakti is likely to convene a high-level meeting on December 27 as part of its initiative to help address concerns of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over water sharing issues that have been eluding solution since State bifurcation.

Though the meeting was prompted by a showdown between the two States on November 29 over the operational control of the Nagarajuna Sagar project, the Centre is keen on discussing the whole gamut of issues involved in sharing of waters and strengthening of the conflict resolution mechanism.

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The high-level meeting convened by the Secretary, Department of Water Resources, Debashree Mukherjee on December 6 was postponed to December 8, as the State Chief Secretary was preoccupied with the post poll protocols involved in succession by the newly elected government. Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari had written to the Secretary, Department of Water Resources, requesting her to reschedule the meeting again in January. But in view of the mounting pressure from AP, which also sought fresh release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar, the high-level meeting will be held before the end of December, said officials.

Besides the Chief Secretaries of both States, Irrigation secretaries and officials of the Krishna River Management Board will attend the meeting to be held in New Delhi. The Ministry of Jal Shakti is keen on discussing the scope for handing over the operational control of the joint projects including Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and Srisailam Project to the KRMB.

AP has reportedly conveyed its willingness to hand over to KRMB all the projects including the Srisailam Project under its operational control. Construction of new projects sans approval would also figure in the agenda for the high-level meeting. The Telangana government had repeatedly been complaining to KRMB over the expansion of the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and construction of the Ralayalaseema lift irrigation scheme without the approval of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

State officials claimed that the works on these two projects were executed in three shifts. Telangana officials have dashed off a letter to the KRMB chairman, requesting him to stall the two projects. The two projects, it is feared, would impact on water availability for Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) which was envisaged to irrigate over 13 lakh acres in the water starved Palamuru region. It would impact water availability for the Kalwakurthy project also, said officials.

With Andhra Pradesh indulging in unauthorised drawls from Srisailam back waters, it would be a tough task for Telangana to lift water to the PRLIS. It would require the water level in the project to be maintained above 800 ft to operate the pumps in the first stage of the PRLIS.

The Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme being implemented by AP was intended to lift 17,560 cusecs from the Srisailam to meet its drinking water needs in AP. The lift scheme will have six pumps with a capacity of 2913 cusecs.

Though the issue was brought to the notice of the KRMB repeatedly, no action was initiated so far. All such complaints from both the States would be discussed at the high-level meeting, irrigation officials said.