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Inchampally: Ponnala to meet Chhattisgarh CM

Special Correspondent

BJP delegation calls on YSR in connection with project

Only 7 Chhattisgarh villages will be submerged if dam height is reduced
A.P. agrees to reduce dam height from 112 metres to 95 metres

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has asked Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah to talk to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh later this month in a bid to explore the possibility of executing the Inchampally project.

Mr. Lakshmaiah told reporters here on Wednesday that Dr. Reddy had asked him to convince Mr. Singh that only seven villages of Chhattisgarh would get submerged if the project was constructed with the reduction in the dam height from 112 metres to 95 metres.

Opposition

Chhattisgarh was earlier opposed to the project as 239 villages faced the threat of submergence with the dam height at 112 metres.

Dr. Reddy gave instructions to the Minister when a BJP delegation led by Warangal district BJP president Nagapuri Rajamouli called on him at the Assembly on completion of a 600 km padayatra from Inchampally. BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya who was also present said he would fix up an appointment for Mr. Lakshmaiah with Mr. Singh who represents a BJP ruled State.

Mr. Lakshmaiah said the dam height was reduced from 112 metres to 95 metres at a high-level meeting convened by the Central government in December 2001.

Maharashtra which would also face the problem of submergence had agreed to the proposal but not Chhattisgarh.

Since a consensus was elusive, the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal had asked States concerned with the project to reach an understanding through consensus, he added.

CPI(M) padayatra

Sangareddy: CPI(M) Medak committee secretary Chukka Ramulu on Wednesday said he would lead the ‘Metuku Seema Neeti Poru’ padayatra to the State Assembly from Tapaspalli on February 17.

The yatra would demand budgetary allocation for Devadula third phase aimed at irrigating 36,000 acres in four mandals of Medak district.

Addressing a press conference here, he said party floor leader Nomula Narsimaiah would launch the programme at Warangal-Medak border near Lakdaram of Kondapak mandal and the yatra would culminate at the State Assembly on February 25 after passing through Siddipet, Dommata, Gajwel and Narsapur segments. Stating that the district had a right on 125 tmc of Godavari water, he pointed out that the district which had 84.8 per cent of its command area next to Godavari had never enjoyed a single drop of its water.

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