‘T’ drags AP govt to SC over Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme

The water sharing dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has now entered into a serious legal battle with the KCR government moving the Supreme Court.

The Telangana government has filed a petition in the apex court with an appeal to directe the Jagan government to stop work on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme as it violates provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act (APRA) 2014.

The Telangana government has filed an online petition before the Supreme Court that AP has begun the tender process for the irrigation project in violation APRA and the instructions of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

Andhra Pradesh government proposed for construction of Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, expansion of Pothireddypadu project and also increasing the capacity of the Srisailam Right Bank Canal under GO 203 issued in May this year. Tenders for the works had already been called for.

On its part, the Telangana government objected to the GO 203 stating that it is violative of the AP Reorganisation Act and sought stay orders against the GO.
KRMB had also sent a letter to Andhra Pradesh special chief secretary for water resources development stating that even calling for tenders for work on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme would violate the APRA.

The Andhra Pradesh had submitted a detailed explanation to the KRMB on its move to draw 6 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) to 8 tmc of water from Krishna river by constructing the Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme and expanding the Pothireddypadu head on the foreshore of the inter-state Srisailam reservoir.

Further, the Andhra Pradesh had dashed off a letter to the Ministry of Jal Shakti and KRMB with an appeal to direct the Telangana government to stop new projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers. The Telangana government has executed the projects at a sill level of 800 feet of Srisailam reservoir, while AP could not get its due share from the allocated water due to evacuation of water by Telangana from Srisailam to Nagarjuna Sagar Project.

The Supreme Court is likely to take up the hearing by next week.