HYDERABAD: The Babli project is back in focus. The Andhra Pradesh Government on Monday deputed an engineers' team to Maharashtra to verify whether construction work on the project across the Godavari has re-started, as reported.

Work on the project was stopped a few months ago when the Central Water Commission, on a complaint by Andhra Pradesh, asked Maharashtra to keep Babli on hold till an amicable settlement is reached. The Government received reports that the execution of the project was awarded to a firm through open bids recently.

Report soon

The Government team has been asked to submit its report as early as possible after interaction with Maharashtra officials. If the reports turn out to be true, the Government plans to file a complaint with the CWC against Maharashtra as it feels the revival of the work constitutes a gross violation of its orders issued after two joint meetings in June and October.

At the last meeting, Maharasthra officials maintained that the Babli construction "is well within the 1975 inter-State agreement" and said that they had taken up 158 other minor projects.

Andhra Pradesh maintains that Maharashtra has exhausted all its entitlement of 79 tmcft in the sub-basin in which Babli is located, and that the Babli, if constructed, affects the storage in Sriramsagar project.

Maharashtra has joined Karnataka in filing its replies on utilisation of Krishna water before new tribunal, seeking a share in `surplus' water of the river.

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