Hyderabad, July 26: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today hit out at his Karnataka counterpart S M Krishna for "blatantly violating" the inter-state agreements and tribunal award and going ahead with "illegal projects" in the upper Tunga region. "He (Krishna) should respect the federal spirit and see that the interests of lower riparian state are not undermined," Naidu said while addressing a meeting of TDP's state executive committee here.
Naidu charged the neighbouring state with "impounding" more water than it was entitled for as per the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal Award and cited instances of 11 small projects being planned by Karnataka in the region.
"These projects will spell doom for us. The backward districts of Anantapur, Cuddapah, Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar will face a certain disaster," the Chief Minister said.
Alleging that Karnataka had "misled" the Central Water Commission (CWC) on the controversial Paragodu project and other schemes, he said it had drawn up plans to utilise over 360 TMC of water as against its entitlement of 306 TMC.
Turning his ire at the opposition Congress for "failing" to convince its party government in Karnataka, he said the Congress leaders were maintaining silence even when the state's irrigational interests were being infringed upon by the neighbouring state.
Bureau Report