AP Minister wants RDS modernisation to be assessed under technical standards

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao wants a study by irrigation engineers on hydrological and other technical aspects of Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) before holding any meetings on the scheme’s modernisation.

He said solution for the dispute involves a lot of technical issues which should be examined by experts that would help the government resolve the problems.

Umamaheshwara Rao was responding to a letter written by his Telangana counterpart T Harish Rao who urged the former to suggest a couple of dates for conducting a tripartite meeting of Ministers and officials from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka to sort of issues pertaining to the RDS modernisation project and expedite works.

Both Telangana and Karnataka governments are keen on resolving problems pertaining to RDS modernisation which would benefit farmers from all three States.

In his letter on Wednesday, Umamaheshwara Rao said there was no clarity on the proposed jacketing of existing anicut for 15 cm as part of RDS modernisation.

He said the regulated releases to tune of 10 tmc from Tungabhadra dam besides monsoon flows had to pass over the RDS anicut so as to sustain crops under KC Canal system.