The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : `Maharashtra resuming work on Babli'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 30, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

`Maharashtra resuming work on Babli'

Special Correspondent

State watching the situation closely and may petition the CWC on the issue

HYDERABAD: A team of engineers that visited the site of the Babli irrigation project has reported to the State Government that preparations are on by Maharashtra to resume the construction work.

The engineers, who returned here on Wednesday, informed the Government that the company, which was awarded the contract, had positioned its men at the site again who were "found cleaning the machinery" in preparation for beginning the work again.

`Work not possible now'

They, however, felt that construction work would not be possible for some days because the depth of water in the Godavari was 10 feet. The water would not recede to the level required for resuming the work unless the storage in Sriramsagar project is depleted. The backwaters of the project extend up to the Babli site.

State watching situation

Sources said the Government was closely watching the situation. It was considering a move to petition to the Central Water Commission if the work was resumed. In a recent order, the CWC had directed Maharashtra to keep the project on hold till it amicably settled the issue with Andhra Pradesh.

At the same time, the Andhra Pradesh Government was planning yet another round of secretary-level meeting for resolving the issue.

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