Hyderabad: Former minister T Harish Rao urged the union minister for Jal Shakti (MoJS) CR Patil to intervene to protect the Telangana’s legitimate water interests. In a letter to the union minister Harish Rao demanded withdrawal of Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) agenda items seeking review of statutory approvals granted to Telangana irrigation projects.“The union minister should direct the GRMB to withdraw Agenda Item Nos. 18.3.1, 18.3.6 and 18.3.11 from the agenda of its proposed 18th meeting, scheduled to be held on August 18. These items seek to reopen and review statutory approvals already granted to several major irrigation projects in Telangana,” the ex-minister said.Harish Rao stated that the issue is not merely an inter-state dispute but one concerning the institutional authority, credibility and legal sanctity of the Government of India’s own decision-making process.He said that the irrigation projects in question had received Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the MoJS only after comprehensive technical, hydrological, engineering, environmental and legal scrutiny involving all concerned stakeholders, including the River Management Board and the basin States.“Once such statutory approvals were granted by the competent authorities of the Centre, no subordinate body such as the GRMB can assume appellate powers to review, reconsider or seek cancellation of those approvals,” the BRS deputy leader said.Harish Rao said that allowing the GRMB to revisit decisions already taken by the MoJS would create an unprecedented institutional anomaly and undermine the authority of the central govt’s own technical institutions.In his letter, he said the agenda seeks reconsideration of approvals granted to key Telangana irrigation projects, including Kaleshwaram, Choutupally Hanumantha Reddy, Mukteshwaram, Chanaka-Korata (Rudha), Modikuntavagu, Kadem-Gudem and the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme, all of which underwent the prescribed statutory appraisal process before receiving approval.Expressing concern over the inclusion of the disputed agenda items, Harish Rao stated that reopening approvals already granted by the Centre would create uncertainty regarding every future statutory clearance issued by the MoJS and the CWC . Such a precedent, he said, would adversely affect irrigation development, drinking water security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Telangana.ends/
