Krishna water board says Andhra carried out excess work on Rayalaseema scheme

Andhra Pradesh has taken up excess works than required at the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) project site, the fact-finding team of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has said. After conducting a site visit, the team filed a report with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) stating that more works were carried out by Andhra Pradesh than required for the purpose of preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR). 

Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments have been at loggerheads over the sharing of Krishna River water. The Telangana government has found faults with the Andhra Pradesh government’s plans to execute the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) on the Krishna river. The Andhra Pradesh government, on the other hand, has accused the Telangana government of drawing excess water than required for power generation. The Telangana government had in July approached the NGT, seeking orders to stop work at the RLIS project site and had called for a site inspection. 

The Telangana government, in its petition, had accused Andhra Pradesh of executing the project without prior environmental clearance approvals from the Union Environment Ministry, Union Jal Shakti Ministry and the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) as per Section 84 of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. Telangana also sought action against SPML Infra Ltd, the agency executing the work.

The KRMB team visited the site on July 11 and filed a 10-page report containing 11 photographs of batching plants (concrete plants), reported The New Indian Express. Their findings were submitted to the NGT and the issue is expected to be taken up for hearing next week. However, the team found no ongoing activity at the site.

They, however, observed that two batching plants were installed at the site. The team also found coarse aggregates, fine aggregates and sand stacked beside the batching plant. It is suspected that the approach channel was excavated but the extent of excavations could not be ascertained.