Rosaiah-led team urges PM to help dismantle Babli gates

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah who led an all-party team to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday requested him to instruct the Maharashtra Government led by Ashok Chavan to dismantle the gates being built at Babli project.

The Rosaiah-led all-party delegation from Andhra Pradesh, met the Prime Minister at his 7, Race Course Road residence and sought his intervention by convening an urgent meeting of Chief Ministers of the neighbouring states to resolve the controversial Babli barrage and 13 other dams being built across the river Godavari in Maharashtra.

The all-party leaders requested the Prime Minister to personally take an interest and ensure that the interests of Andhra Pradesh, which is the lower riparian State, are protected.

The leaders from the State accused the Maharashtra Government of constructing an illegal project and installing gates at the Babli barrage against an apex court orders. They said Maharashtra has built the Jayakwadi Project across Godavari, 262 km from the source of Pochampadu Project upstream (SRSP).

“This project being the life-line of Telangana region and being the only source by gravity means is under great stress due to inadequate and insufficient inflows than contemplated because of the extensive construction of water retaining structures taken up by Maharashtra. Most of these structures are unauthorised,” the leaders said in the memorandum which they submitted to the Prime Minister.

One such structure is the Babli barrage which has violated all norms of inter-state water sharing, they said.

The leaders urged the Prime Minister to ask the Maharashtra Government to stop construction of the Babli project, which falls within the Sri Rama Sagar dam project prism since it is being built without the permission from the Central Water Commission.

Singh was requested to ask the Maha government to stop other 13 projects, which are obstructing the flow of water into the backward Telangana region. Moreover, thew constructions are done without obtaining the permission of the CWC and consent of lower riparian state.