Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is scheduled to meet Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada on October 13 to press for the regular release of Krishna water to Tamil Nadu and discuss inter-state river-linking proposals, according to a report by Dinamalar.
The meeting is expected to focus on water from the Kandaleru reservoir, which Andhra Pradesh is required to provide to Tamil Nadu under the arrangement reported by the publication. Dinamalar said the annual allocation is 11 thousand million cubic feet, or TMC, but that the water has not been released to Tamil Nadu regularly.
The issue has direct implications for water planning in Tamil Nadu, where inter-state supplies form part of the wider system used to meet the needs of cities, industries and rural areas. The report also said that the Tamil Nadu government pays Andhra Pradesh’s Water Resources Department an annual amount of Rs 100 crore towards maintenance of the Krishna canal.
Vijay is travelling to Vijayawada with Water Resources Minister Anand, Chief Secretary Saikumar and Water Resources Secretary Prashanth Vadnere, the report said. The delegation is expected to seek a more regular release of the agreed water supply while also raising the proposal for linking rivers.
The meeting with Naidu is scheduled for 4.15 pm at Vijayawada, according to the published itinerary. The discussions come at a time when the management of inter-state rivers remains dependent on agreements between state governments, reservoir operations and the condition of the canals used to carry water across state boundaries.
The reported dispute is not limited to the quantity of water released. The maintenance of the canal system is also part of the arrangement cited in the report, linking the financial obligation of one state with the physical reliability of the infrastructure operated by another. Any interruption in releases or limitations in canal capacity can therefore affect the timing and dependability of water reaching Tamil Nadu.
After the meeting with Naidu, Vijay is scheduled to visit the Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada at 6 pm and meet Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan later in the evening. He is expected to return to Chennai at 8 pm.
Dinamalar also reported that Vijay will travel to Coimbatore district on October 16 to inaugurate a library building completed at a cost of Rs 300 crore and interact with students. The report did not provide further details on the proposed river-linking plan, the reasons for irregular releases or any fresh commitment expected from the Andhra Pradesh government.
