A delegation of Telugu Desam Party met Union Minister for Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday and discussed with him the Babli Project issue across the River Godavari. Central Water Commission chairman Arunkumar Bajaj was also present during the discussions.
The delegation apprised the CWC that water to the Telangana region would dry up if the Maharashtra Government does not stop works on the 13 illegal projects under the Babli Project across the river Godavari. The delegation further stressed that the Sriramsagar Project would be only a decorative piece if immediate action is not taken.
According to the TDP sources, the delegation allayed the fears that the Maharashtra government was planning to 'siphon off' 167 TMC of water from the river Godavari.
The Maharashtra government claims that the crest gates erected as part of the Babli Project will only utilise 8.7 TMC of water for supplying drinking water to the state.
Union Minister for Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal and CWC chairman Arunkumar Bajaj gave the delegation a patient hearing and said the CWC would send an invitation to the chief ministers of both the states to resolve the issue.
The minister said the part played by the CWC in resolving the water issue is very little . ''We will only have to refer such cases to the tribunals and they will take care of them''.
Referring to t he Polavaram Project, the minister observed that there is no change in the plan and the project would take shape as per the original schedule. Due to shortage of funds, the works on Polavaram project had been delayed. Once the funds are available, the works will continue, he added.