AP, Telangana Police Fight at the dam site, CMs meet today
HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao Telangana would be here tomorrow to discuss the exchange of Nagarjuna Sagar dam water after a nasty incident which saw police from both states involved in a fight yesterday.
Rao and Naidu held the meeting in the presence of ESL Narasimhan, Governor of both states common in Raj Bhavan in the morning, a statement from the office of Rao said tonight.
The breakthrough was achieved after Rao Naidu spoke by phone and discussed the situation in Nagarjuna Sagar said, adding that the latter expressed willingness to resolve the issue amicably.
Hyderabad: Telangana ministers irrigation and T Harish Rao and AP Devineni Umamaheswara Rao gave a joint press conference after the meeting between the TS and chief ministers of AP.
Irrigation ministers said they reached a broad consensus among states to protect all permanent crops in both states and a mechanism is being developed by the E-in-Cs to ensure adequate supply of irrigation and for drinking water, both in the states in view of the following summer months.
They also said there will be regular meetings between the E-in-Cs to coordinate releases from the dam based on the availability of storage.
A little later E-in-Cs of the respective states and AB C. Muralidhar Venkateswara Rao met in the presence of the secretaries of irrigation and ordered the immediate release of 7,000 cubic feet per second of water from the reservoir through Law Branch Canal and powerhouse. This quantum will be operational for at least a week. Later, emissions will be reduced to 5,000 and 4,000 cubic feet per second, depending on the need in the crop area. Almost immediately after the meeting of officials of the dam opened the doors on the right.
It was also decided not to allow either the police or the public to go to the top of the dam and only allow engineering staff, both states. Instructed the Special Protection Force manning the security and safety of the dam to comply with the instructions were given.
Both the chief minister, after the meeting with the Governor, Raj Bhavan left without speaking to the media. According to sources, both the CM seemed to have reached an agreement to have these meetings regularly to resolve all contentious issues relating to both states.
