The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Government justifies execution of projects under Jalayagnam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 01, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Government justifies execution of projects under Jalayagnam

Special Correspondent

Files affidavit before new Krishna Water Tribunal

HYDERABAD: Filing its affidavit before the new Krishna Water Tribunal headed by Brijesh Kumar, at Delhi on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh justified execution of all Krishna-based projects taken up under Jalayagnam.

Counsel for the State, Deepankar Gupta, referred to the Bachawat Tribunal Award which categorically mentioned that Andhra Pradesh "is at liberty" to use the surplus waters of the river.

The arguments put forth by him on the first day centred around the State's known demands -- a right over the surplus waters, ban on sub-basin transfer of waters in the Krishna basin, share in the unused portion of the quota allotted to Karnataka and Maharashtra, prevention of Maharashtra from letting out the Krishna waters westwards into the Arabian Sea from Koyna hydro-electric project, instead towards the east into the Bay of Bengal, and bringing all canal systems of the Thungabhadra Project at Hospet under the control of Thungabhadra board.

While presenting their cases on Monday, Karnataka and Maharashtra contended that Andhra Pradesh had no right over surplus waters of the Krishna. Karnataka opposed the construction of 11 projects taken up under Jalayagnam and sought their immediate stoppage pending disposal of the case by the Tribunal.

The 11 projects cited were Srisailam Left Bank Canal, Srisailam Right Branch Canal, Telugu Ganga, Handri-Niva, Galeru-Nagari, Pulichintala, Bhima, Veligonda, Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu and Koilsagar.

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