Oppn. charge on Krishna water refuted

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 18. Even as the Opposition cudgelled the DMK Government on the Krishna water project and demanded a legislature committee probe into the scheme, the PWD Minister, Mr. Durai Murugan, asserted in the Assembly today that Chennai would receive 50 cusecs of Krishna water for the next 50 days. Refuting the Opposition charge that Chennai had not received even a drop of Krishna water so far, the Minister declared that 7.08 tmcft. of water had reached the Poondi reservoir from Andhra Pradesh from June 1996 till early 1999.

The Minister also said that the Tamil Nadu Government had given only Rs. 512 crores to Andhra Pradesh towards the project and not Rs. 1000 crore as alleged by the Opposition and a section of the media.

During a discussion on the Krishna water project, Mr. Durai Murugan said of the 178 km long canal between Srisailam reservoir to Somasila dam in Andhra Pradesh, only on a 13km stretch between Velugodu and Brahmaharimadam, canal had not been formed. But the undug canal had not undermined the Krishna project as water from Srisailam reservoir, instead of being let into the canal, was being diverted to the Nippulavaghu stream which culminates at the Somasila dam via Pennar river.

Hitting at those who dub the scheme as a ``fraud'', the Minister said, a World Bank team which inspected the Krishna project found that the transmission of Krishna water to Tamil Nadu via Nippulavaghu stream was feasible and sustainable.

This year, since the water level in Somasila was below the `sill' level, only 200 cusecs could be released by Andhra Pradesh, the Minister said.

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Section  : Southern States
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