Water sharing issue rapped by Union Minister of AP

Hyderabad: In a stinging rap to Andhra Pradesh over river water sharing, Union Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday expressed dismay over the manner in which the neighbouring State was constantly raising objections to the initiatives taken by the Telangana State government to enhance its irrigation potential.

Speaking at the Regional Conference of Southern States on Water Resources here, Meghwal said if any move by the TS government enhances its irrigation potential, “it would only benefit India and not Pakistan.”

The Union Minister’s sharp rebuke came during discussion on the modernisation of Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) when both TS Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and Chief Secretary S K Joshi pointed out that AP was stalling the project under some pretext or the other.

Joshi said that AP had always resorted to creating some law and order problem every time to stall the RDS modernisation works from being taken up. He emphasised the need for steps to ensure the “rule of law” in enforcing river water sharing as per the agreed terms and conditions, a view which was endorsed by Meghwal immediately.

The Union Minister asked the authorities concerned to complete the works on the RDS modernisation at the earliest.