Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme hits a major road block

The directorate also said the project involved the utilisation of the Krishna river waters.

Hyderabad: The Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), that has been holding out hope for the water-starved southern districts of Telangana, has hit a major road block.

Even as the “further terms of reference” issued to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II with the approval of the union cabinet was viewed as a major victory for the State for staking claim for its share of entitlement in Krishna river waters, the process for final clearances has got enmeshed in a legal tangle.

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Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had met union Minister for Water Resources Gajendra Shekavat on January 4 and made a request to the Centre for according national project status for the PRLIS.

Stressing the need for Central support for the implementation of the project, he appraised the union Minister that the drought conditions could be addressed by it in 12.30 lakh acres in six districts of the State.

The Jal Shakti Minister, however, ruled out the scope for considering it as a national project, but assured that the Centre would be able to bear a major part of the project cost as per the guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sanchayee Yojana by including it under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP).

The process calls for a fresh appraisal of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and other permissions already accorded.

However, In a reply to a query raised by an RTI activist, Inaganti Ravi Kumar, the Water Planning and Projects Coordination Directorate of the Central Water Commission (CWC) has made it clear that the matter is now sub-judice and fresh appraisal of the project could not be carried out till the KWDT-II delivered its final award.

The directorate also said the project involved the utilisation of the Krishna river waters.

The task of adjudication between the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh regarding the use, distribution and control of the Krishna river waters was entrusted under the further terms of reference to the Tribunal that was constituted by the Central Government.

The new Terms of reference has expanded the scope of the tribunal. It has to finalise the project wise distribution of water taking into consideration the entitlement of the existing project besides the ongoing projects and the contemplated projects in both the states.

The en-block allocation of 811 TMC made by the KWDT-I to the undivided Andhra Pradesh and any additional allocation over and above it made by the tribunal to had to be taken into consideration for the purpose.

The share of water allocated to the erstwhile AP by the KWDT-1 that was made available by transfer of water from Godavari to Krishna through Polavaram project is also to be taken into consideration in the process finalisation, the Central agency said in its reply to Ravi Kumar.

In fact the KWDT- II was constituted by the Central Government in 2004 based on the request of the riparian states

and its tenure was extended further after the Telangana State came into existence in 2014. The tribunal was given the further terms of reference without specifying a time frame for fulfilling the task it was entrusted with.

\AP has been opposing the new terms of reference . The issue was already before Supreme Court.

The states fighting for their right share of water from Krishna are uncertain how long the resolution process would last.