Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu declared that under no circumstance would Andhra Pradesh give up its rights over the waters of the Krishna river. The CM maintained that the state's allocation must not be disturbed. He asked officials to argue strongly to safeguard the share which was legitimately awarded to Andhra Pradesh. He pointed out that thousands of TMCs of water flow into the sea every year and added that the state should collaborate with other neighboring states in utilizing the floodwaters.
Chief Minister reviewed the issue with Water Resources Department officials at the Secretariat on Wednesday. He said that united Andhra Pradesh has a share of 811 TMCs in Krishna waters. After bifurcation, the Water Disputes Tribunal allotted 512 TMCs to Andhra Pradesh and 299 TMCs to Telangana. He said it is not proper to review these allocations.
Chandrababu Naidu also directed a scientific study to ascertain why many reservoirs are not fully filled even with heavy rains. The officials stated that the current water reserves in all major, medium, and minor reservoirs stood at 1,095 TMCs and said that 83.43% of their capacity was filled. They stated that the average groundwater level has increased from 7.45 meters last year to 6.8 meters this year. The Chief Minister also expressed the opinion that special measures be taken for the improvement of ground water levels in 5,697 villages below 8 meters.
The Chief Minister instructed that land acquisition for the left canal of Polavaram should be initiated without any delay to ensure speedy completion of the project. He instructed the officials to swiftly provide the RR package to the displaced people.
The officials said that 73% of the diaphragm wall work is completed and the construction is likely to finish by February next year. They said the vibro compaction work is 97% completed and will be finished by the end of next month. The work on the earth cum rockfill dam has already started, considered as the major part of the project as the diaphragm wall work is nearing completion.
At Amaravati, the Chief Minister ordered that problems of farmers who contributed their lands for the capital be sorted out on a priority basis. He said any technical issues must be resolved without delay. He said justice was required to be done to farmers who suffered during the previous YSRCP government and remembered their struggles. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the CRDA at the Secretariat on Wednesday. He said that the government should extend full cooperation to farmers and bring unresolved issues before the cabinet. He emphasized that capital construction should continue without delays and with no compromise on quality. He added that the government’s goal is to develop Amaravati into a world-class city. Minister Narayana, CRDA, and municipal officials participated in the review.
