M’rashtra, Telangana settle water dispute

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, August 23

Breaking new ground in resolving inter-state water disputes, Telangana and Maharashtra today signed an agreement to build three irrigation projects across the Godavari and its tributaries, benefitting farmers from both states.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis signed three separate agreements in Mumbai during the first meeting of the Godavari Inter-State Board. The irrigation ministers of the two states, MPs and senior officials were present at the historic occasion.

Earlier in the day, Rao, accompanied by his cabinet colleagues and top officials, flew down to Mumbai by a special aircraft to sign the agreement to pave the way for the construction of three barrages on the Godavari and its tributaries—Penganga and Pranahita.

The water pact by the two governments to construct irrigation projects will resolve decades-old dispute on water utilization of the Godavari and its tributaries.

The inter-state water board was constituted in March this year, following an in-principle agreement between the two states. The board has 23 members each from both states, including their respective chief ministers.

Rao described the agreement as “historic” and said it would set a new trend at a time when there were water disputes among several states. Fadnavis said the agreements would protect interests of farmers in both states. He said the projects would ensure minimum submergence and ensure irrigation of 30,000 acres in Maharashtra.