Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao will be holding a crucial meeting to sort out the pending Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) project in Mahbubanagar with his Karnataka counterpart MB Patil in Bengaluru on April 28.
Patil invited Harish Rao to hold talks to discuss on field level issues and loss incurred to crops in Palamur. Harish rang up and informed Patil that Palamur district abutting Karataka is failing to draw its allotted waters as per norms for three years. RDS, being the inter-State project, injustice was done to the region. He alleged that Karnataka was not cooperating for modernization of the project.
The previous government had sanctioned Rs 72 crore and deposited Rs 58 crore with Karnataka as barrage falls in that State and need to increase barrage height to 15ft besides repairs for modernization. Though 15.9 tmc was allotted to irrigate 87,500 acres in Mahbubnagar district, it failed to draw 5 tmc to 6 tmc waters through this RDS project. The negligence of united Andhra leaders led to the loss of waters to irrigate 20,000 acres in Palamur, he deplored. Karnataka and farmers of Kurnool are resorting to draw RDS waters against norms, he added. (NSS)