YSRCP to hold mandal level dharnas on May 17

Hyderabad, May 12 (INN): The YSR Congress Party will hold dharnas at all mandals across Andhra Pradesh on May 17 as part of the three-day Jala Deeksha by Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in protest against the alleged failure of TDP Government in seeking the rightful share in the river waters and keeping mum when Telangana state is overdrawing water from the Krishna river.

“Telangana government has been drawing 120 TMC of water through lift irrigation, which is not by gravity and has no season that would hamper the irrigation and drinking water sources of the state severely. The Centre should intervene in the issue as the TDP government is not reacting to the ambitious plans of Telangana government which is going against the State Reorganisation Act,” Party senior leader Ummareddy Venkateswarlu told reporters here on Thursday.

The State Reorganisation Act has clearly mentioned that whenever any new project is taken up permission of the respective Boards (Krishna and Godavari) along with the two states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) should be taken.

“We are not sure whether or not permission was sought for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi projects or from Andhra Pradesh government but drawing 120 TMC water through lift which would turn the arid region of Rayalaseema along with Nellore and Prakasam into a desert if the project is not stopped as there is no season for drawing water under lift irrigation and the minimum level of 854 feet will not be adhered to and the water level may dip further to 800 feet. Our leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be sitting on a three-day fast on May 16, 17 and 18 at Kurnool to highlight the failure of TDP government to check the irregularities of Telangana government and seeking the intervention of Centre to arbitrate the issue and advise the neighbouring state to adhere to the State Reorganisation Act strictly,” he said.

On the second day of the three-day fast, our party workers and leaders will hold dharnas at all mandal headquarters with the demand of equal distribution of Krishna waters.

TDP has been playing foul on matter of irrigation sector and has messed up the Polavaram project, which was mentioned in the Act that it is a Central project and no further permission is needed. Pattiseema was brought to the fore to complicate the issue further.

Telangana government claiming that it has permission for 11 irrigation projects needs to be vouched and it should be known if Andhra Pradesh government has given its permission along with Krishna River Board as mentioned in the State Reorganisation Board, he said. (INN)