Ponnala flays Deshmukh's statements
Staff Reporter
WARANGAL: The Major Irrigation Minister, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, took strong exception to the statements of the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, that they were using the Godavari waters as per the agreement signed in 1975.
Speaking to newsmen here today, Mr. Lakshmaiah said the decision to construct the Babli project was unilateral and the Maharashtra Government had never informed the Central Government, Central Water Commission or at least the Andhra Pradesh Government and violated the agreement entered into by both the States in 1975.
The Minister said the then Chief Ministers - J Vengala Rao of Andhra Pradesh and S B Chavan of Maharashtra - agreed to share the Godavari waters, according to which the full reservoir level of SRSP should be maintained at 1,091 feet at all costs. Water up to the Jaikwadi project could be utilised by Maharashtra and below by Andhra Pradesh. "The Babli project is falling within the SRSP water spread area and once completed will reduce the water level in SRSP by 1 tmcft, which is a gross violation by the Maharashtra Government,'' Mr. Lakshmaiah explained. The Minister found fault with Maharashtra for going ahead with the projects unauthorisedly and for not exchanging the information on utilisation of Godavari waters. "We are not bothered which party is ruling in that State. In the interest of the people of Andhra Pradesh, we will fight it out,'' Mr. Lakshmaiah maintained.
He appealed to the Maharashtra Chief Minister to stop the construction of the Babli project until the high-level officials of both the States sit and work out modalities of utilising the Godavari waters. Referring to the MGM Hospitals, Mr. Lakshmaiah accused the TDP leaders of instigating the patients. "The former Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, promised to make it a 1,000-bed hospital, but he failed to do so.
Source : The Hindu.
No comments:
Post a Comment