Hyderabad : The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) arrived at the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in Telangana’s Nalgonda district on Friday amid hostilities between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
After the Union Home Ministry intervened to ease tensions between the two states over the dam across the Krishna River, CRPF men were sent in.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Friday held a video conference with the Chief Secretaries and DGPs of both the states and both the states agreed to the suggestion by the Union Home Secretary that on the issue of release of water from the dam, the situation that existed before November 28 should be restored, control of the dam be handed over to the Krishna River Water Management Board (KRMB), and CRPF be deployed at the dam.
Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari said during the video conference that on the night of November 29, 500 armed Andhra Pradesh police personnel came on to the dam, damaged CCTV cameras and by operating head regulator, released 5,000 cusecs of water.
She also told the Union Home Secretary that this action by Andhra Pradesh police created a law and order problem on a day when Telangana was busy with the conduct of state Assembly elections.
She expressed her displeasure that Andhra Pradesh had done so twice.
To address the matter between the two states, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry has scheduled a meeting for this coming Saturday. The Central Water Commission officials, the Directors General of the CRPF and the CISF, as well as the Chief Secretaries of the state and the Chairman of KRMB have all been invited by the ministry.
Telangana Police had already filed two trespassing complaints against Andhra Pradesh Police.
Police in Nalgonda district registered the cases a day after Andhra Pradesh police allegedly barged into the premises and took control of half of the dam. The police officials from Andhra Pradesh had also barricaded a part of the dam and restrained entry of Telangana P:olice and Irrigation Department officials.
Vayupuri Town police of Nalgonda registered the case under sections 447 and 427 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code following a complaint from a sub-inspector of Telangana Special Protection Force (TSPF).
As per the First Information Report, on November 30, at approximately 2.03 a.m., approximately 500 members of the Andhra Pradesh police force launched an attack on the Telangana Irrigation Department’s right bank gate. The Andhra Pradesh police are accused of forcibly entering the dam and installing barbed wire fencing throughout its whole location, from the 13th gate to the 26th.
“They also trespassed on the right canal head regulator and right bank connectivity by violating the existing system in force by breaking four CCTV cameras,” according to the FIR. Additionally, by releasing water for the Andhra region, the police officers in Andhra Pradesh also operated the regulator at the right canal head irregularly. It claimed that the water was wasting away and that it went against the rules set forth by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).
On the basis of a complaint from the Telangana Irrigation Department, another case was filed against the Andhra Pradesh Police. Andhra Pradesh has been instructed by the KRMB to cease using the right canal for water extraction. It has instructed Andhra Pradesh’s Principal Secretary for Irrigation in a letter to cease using the right canal for water extraction.
The KRMB mentioned that since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Srisailam dam is being controlled by Andhra Pradesh and Nagarjuna Sagar dam by Telangana government.
