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Krishna, Godavari River Management Board to hold emergency meeting today
The ministry of jal shakti, through a gazette notification on July 16, set the jurisdiction of Godavari River Management Board and Krishna River Management Board to reduce friction between the two states in the area of water management.
The Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) are set to meet on Monday to take steps on issues mentioned in the recent gazette notification issued by the Centre on their jurisdiction. The states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been engaged in a war of words over water sharing and some irrigation projects on the Krishna river, which prompted Centre to come out with the gazetted notification to GRMB and KRMB.
The ministry of jal shakti, through a gazette notification on July 16, set the jurisdiction of GRMB and KRMB to reduce friction between the two states in the area of water management. It is aimed at awarding the boards more powers for administration, regulation, operation, and maintenance of projects listed therein in Godavari and Krishna rivers in the two states.
The K Chandrashekar Rao-led Telangana government said on Sunday that it won't be able to take part in the emergency meeting due to some prior commitments. In a letter to the Godavari River Management Board, Telangana special chief secretary Rajat Kumar said the representatives of the state will not be able to attend the board meeting, owing to various legal matters posted on Monday. "It is requested to kindly indicate another convenient date so that members from Telangana state can attend the meeting and present their views," Kumar wrote to the board.
The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court complaining that Telangana was refusing to follow decisions taken in the apex council constituted under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 directions of the Krishna River Management Board and those of the Centre. Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana responded that he would not adjudicate the legal issues involved in the matter, insisting that the states resolve the matter through talks, which the Supreme Court bench was willing to assist, an invitation which the Andhra government declined.
