ANANTAPUR: The district unit of Communist Party of India (CPI) has suggested that both the TDP and the Congress stop mudslinging on each other on the issue of Pothireddypadu and instead stay united to protect the irrigation interests of the district.

Talking to newspersons here on Sunday former legislator, K. Ramakrishna, district secretary, M.V. Ramana, and others they said the CPI always had a clear stand on the issue and had been exerting pressure on successive Governments for allocation of water to Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir.

As per the 1984 all-party agreement the Government had now accepted to give 10 tmcft of water allocated to KC Canal in Tungabhadra reservoir to PABR and compensating the former with Srisailam water from Pothireddypadu. The agreement had also resolved to give the 4 tmcft allocation of Mylavaram reservoir in Tungabhadra to PABR and compensating the former with Srisailam water from SRBC. Though KC Canal had been drawing water from Pothireddypadu since 1996 its quota in Tungabhadra was never given to PABR, the CPI leaders pointed out.

With the help of clear orders to be issued by the Government PABR would get 10 tmcft allocation from next year. The party leaders also emphasised the need of modernising and widening the HLC to make it carry the additional water in time.

Further, the CPI leaders demanded pro-rate allocation of water to Handri-Neeva project.

They alleged that the State Government had given step-motherly treatment to Handri-Neeva, which would mainly serve the perennially drought-prone Anantapur, as each tmcft water had been allocated to serve 22,000 acres, against 10,000 acres criteria for other projects.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail