STOP WATER TO AP, ORDERS RIVER PANEL

In a major setback to Andhra Pradesh, the Krishna River Management Board on Tuesday asked the Srisailam project authorities to immediately stop releasing waters from the dam to Pothireddypadu head regulator as they have already drawn more water than allowed.

In a major setback to AP, the Krishna River Management Board on Tuesday asked the Srisailam project authorities to immediately stop releasing waters from the dam to Pothireddypadu head regulator as they have already drawn more water than allowed.

TS Engineer-in-Chief C. Muralidhar had complained to the KRMB that though it had only allotted 5 tmc ft from Srisailam to Pothireddypadu, AP was continuing to release water and had drawn 7.5 tmc ft more than it was allotted.

Referring to the complaint, KRMB membersecretary Sameer Chatterjee on Tuesday issued a ‘stop order’ to Srisailam Dam Chief Engineer as well as to AP Engineer-in-Chief M. Venkateswara Rao.

However, Srisailam dam chief engineer C. Narayana Reddy told this newspaper that he had not received any orders thus far. He said AP government has already put indent for drawing an 19 tmc ft for Pothireddypadu.

Mr Reddy said he was waiting for the AP government’s response to this and would act accordingly.

Sources said that Pothireddypadu head regulator was meant to supply water to assured irrigation projects like Srisailam right branch canal as well as Chennai drinking water supply project and it is AP’s right to use the water as it deems fit, as “everything will be accounted for under the quota given to AP”.