Water row takes Seema vs Andhra hue

HYDERABAD: The regional row over water took a serious turn on Friday when Nandyal Congress MP SPY Reddy resigned from the Lok Sabha in protest against the release of Krishna water from Srisailam into Nagarjunsagar dam to eventually reach the farmers of the Krishna delta in the Andhra region.
Reddy, a third-term Congress MP, who was in Delhi, sent his resignation letter through his PA to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office on Friday morning and immediately left for Hyderabad.“There is no use in continuing in the party when the chief minister does not pay heed to a party MP’s request. I am answerable to my people who are in dire need of water. I met Kiran Kumar thrice and requested him not to release water downstream until it reached the sufficient level. But he ignored my request,” SPY Reddy told TOI.
With farmers in the Krishna delta region (comprising Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts) supported by the TDP and CPI agitating for release of water, the state government on Friday morning released 21,000 cusecs downstream from Srisailam reservoir into Nagarjunsagar from where it would reach the Krishna delta.
SPY Reddy said he had urged the state not to release water downstream from Srisailam until the level in the reservoir touched 845 feet, which he claimed would happen in the next 5 days. According to Reddy, SRBC, Telugu Ganga and KC canal which cater to the Rayalaseema region, would not get any water from Potireddypadu head regulator unless the water level at Srisailam touched 845 ft. However, the state went ahead and released water on Friday when the water level at Srisailam was 839 feet.
Claiming that the release of water was in violation of the state’s own GO maintaining the minimum water level at various reservoirs, the Nandyal MP put in his papers immediately. Minutes after Reddy’s resignation, Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy also threatened to quit and more MLAs from the region including Silpa Mohan Reddy are expected to follow suit. SPY Reddy said he would withdraw his resignation if the state immediately stopped the release of water downstream. The MP also demanded immediate closure of three units of Srisailam hydel project.
Nalgonda Congress MP Gutha Sukhender Reddy and four others on Friday filed two separate petitions in the HC seeking a direction to the state government not to release water from Nagarjunasagar reservoir even if the water level was above 510 feet at the reservoir. The MP urged the court to direct the authorities not to release water other than for drinking purpose and before fulfilling the needs of fluoride affected Nalgonda. He told the court that water stored at Nagarjunasagar reservoir has to cater to the needs of various districts and Greater Hyderabad. The MP and another petitioner Hasan Ali contended in their petitions that efforts of the government in releasing water from Nagarjunasagar other than for drinking water purposes was inexplicable, arbitrary and illegal.