The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Maharashtra plea rejected

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Maharashtra plea rejected

Special Correspondent

State `no' to increase in Koyna hydel project capacity

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh has rejected Maharashtra's plea to allow an increase in the installed capacity of the Koyna hydel project by using an extra of 6.7 tmcft of water from the Krishna in addition to the original allotment 67.5 tmcft.

The Major Irrigation Minister, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, who announced this at a press conference here on Tuesday, however, emphasised that this was not in retaliation to the construction of 12 new barrages by Maharashtra across the Godavari affecting inflows to Andhra Pradesh.

Team for Mumbai

He said a team of officials from Andhra Pradesh would soon visit Mumbai to ascertain the actual position from the Maharashtra Government on these barrages and discuss remedial measures. The State would also take the issue to the Centre but without seeking a fresh tribunal on sharing of Godavari ( basin) waters, out of which Andhra Pradesh's allocation is 1,480 tmcft, Maharashtra 889 tmcft, Madhya Pradesh- Chhattisgarh 625 tmcft, Orissa 293 tmcft and Karnataka 20 tmcft.

A protest letter was sent to the Maharashtra Government on Tuesday against the 12 barrages.

Quoting Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, the Minister said the allotment to Maharashtra from the stretch of the Godavari below Paithan and above the Sriramsagar project was only 79 tmcft. But it was constructing 12 barrages below and above Vishnupuri Lift Scheme and another at Babli (2.7 tmcft). The utilisation through all these would increase phenomenally, affecting the inflows to Sriramsagar under which a developed ayacut existed.

He said the barrages were illegal as Maharashtra did not inform Andhra Pradesh, a lower riparian State, or the Centre, before going ahead with the construction. The Maharashtra Government's action was unilateral and highly objectionable.

Mr. Lakshmaiah urged the Maharashtra Government to start head works on the Rs. 275-crore Lendi project for which Andhra Pradesh had released Rs. 28 crores towards its share of cost, Rs. 110 crores after signing an agreement. He said a similar accord would be signed shortly with Maharashtra on the Rs. 2,100-crore Lower Penna Ganga project taken up for irrigating 2.1 lakh acres in Maharashtra and 40,000 acres in Andhra Pradesh which would bear the cost to the extent of Rs. 250 crores.

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