Union jal shakti minister asks Telangana, Andhra Pradesh to submit DPRs

HYDERABAD: Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has sought to remind Telangana and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers (CMs) that the two Telugu states are yet to submit detailed project reports (DPRs) of irrigation projects in contention and asked them to take the initiative to submit them.
The Union minister, in separate letters to K Chandrasekhar Rao and YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the two CMs of Telangana and AP respectively, reiterated the ministry’s earlier directions to both states for submission of DPRs.Telangana must submit DPR for lifting the third tmc ft of water from Kaleshwaram project, while AP should submit DPRs for Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme to divert over eight tmc ft of Krishna river at Sangameswaram and also for enhancing the water drawal capacity of the Pothireddypadu project to 80,000 cusecs.
In the letters, Shekhawat reminded that the CMs had agreed to submit DPRs of all new projects taken up by the two governments at the Apex Council meeting held on October 6, 2020. These DPRs need to be submitted to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB).
Shekhawat also stated that Telangana has not submitted DPR of any of its 15 projects taken up, including seven on Krishna and eight on Godavari rivers respectively. On its part, AP state has submitted one out 19 new projects taken up after bifurcation of the state (combined AP), including 15 in the Krishna and four in Godavari basin.
Telangana irrigation department principal secretary Rajath Kumar told TOI that the letter of the Union minister was under examination and the government would soon respond to it.