HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Government on Tuesday clamped prohibitory orders in the area of Saloora, the lift irrigation project it constructed along the inter-State border with Maharashtra, in order to bar the entry of two Shiv Sena MPs from neighbouring State. Tension prevailed at the project site throughout the day as Chandrakantha Kaire (Aurangabad) and Tukaram Patil (Parbani), both MPs, made two attempts to visit the project.

It was almost a re-enactment of the unsuccessful attempts made by Telugu Desam Party and BJP workers last week to cross into Maharashtra and visit the Babli project on the Godavari. However, there was no lathi-charge or violence on Tuesday.

On learning about their arrival, farmers and Telugu Desam activists gathered at the site and shouted slogans against the MPs. With police denying them entry, the two MPs left the place.

However, they later returned in two vehicles but were once again forced to retreat on the advice of the police as they were confronted by angry farmers from Andhra Pradesh. A heavy police contingent has been posted at the site. Saloora is only a few kms from Sagarouli crossroads where Maharashtra police lathi-charged BJP leaders when they tried to visit Babli project site.

Saloora is a lift irrigation project constructed by Andhra Pradesh at a cost of Rs. 30 crore across Manjira, a tributary of the Godavari, about 36 km from Nizamabad town. The river serves as natural border for the two States.

As part of the project, a pumphouse has been built in the middle of the river to draw water for the project. Maharashtra says the pumphouse lies in its territory. The stand taken by the inter-State river cell of Andhra Pradesh, however, is that pumphouse is located on its territory, starting from the middle of the river. A senior official told The Hindu that the pumphouse had been constructed only after verifying the boundaries from the Survey of India maps. He said work on the project went on smoothly and people from Maharashtra never objected. "The project has now been completed."

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