Andhra CM urges Centre to permit execution of Rayalaseema Lift Scheme

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar urging him to direct the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to issue "necessary amendment to existing Environment Clearances and to permit to proceed with the execution of Rayalaseema Lift Scheme".

In a letter to Javadekar, Reddy said, "I request your kind intervention to direct the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to issue a necessary amendment to the existing Environment Clearances as noted supra and to permit to proceed with the execution of works of Rayalaseema Lift Scheme at an early date as any delay in this regard will adversely affect the interests of the State of Andhra Pradesh in view of the whimsical attitude of the state of Telangana."

The Chief Minister said that the "whimsical attitude of the State of Telangana in generating power from the common reservoirs of both the states on Krishna River unilaterally violating all the operational protocols, agreements and directions of the Krishna River Management board depriving the right of the State of Andhra Pradesh to utilise its allocated water."

"It is also brought to your kind about the number of unauthorised irrigation projects of Telangana like Palamuru Rangareddy LIS and Dindi LIS which will make it very difficult for the reservoir levels to be built up above +854 ft and will not allow us to draw the allocated quantities," read the letter.

"In view of the prevailing scenario, the State of Andhra Pradesh is left with no option but to go for Rayalaseema Lift Scheme to supplement 3 TMC of water per day to the existing projects i.e. TGP, SRBC, GNSS and Drinking Water to Chennai City from a level of +800 ft. In view of the whimsical way of water drawn by Telangana is a blatant disregard to the norms and protocol, it is necessary to commence and complete RLS at an early date," it said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also wrote to Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over the Krishna river water utilization row and urged for "his intervention immediate action on the issue to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh against whimsical actions of Telangana"

( With inputs from ANI )

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