Krishna waters issue rocks Andhra Assembly

The political polemics over Krishna waters found its echo in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday with the ruling Congress and the opposition TDP members accusing each other of playing 'water politics and shedding crocodile tears'.

With the upper riparian Karnataka firmly ruling out release of Krishna waters to Andhra Pradesh, the opposition TDP and BJP members moved adjournment motions seeking a discussion on the issue in the interests of the farmers.

Even after speaker K R Suresh Reddy disallowed the adjournment motions, the opposition members did not budge from their position and stalled proceedings demanding that the government make a statement on the matter.

Accusing TDP of resorting to 'double-talk and shedding crocodile tears', chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said that Karnataka has its own set of compulsions and referred to 'political pressure' by opposition parties in the neighbouring state against the release of water to Andhra Pradesh.

However, in view of good rainfall in Karnataka, its reservoirs at Almatti and Narayanpur were receiving copious inflows and the overflowing water would reach Andhra Pradesh in a couple of days, Reddy said.

"God is with us. There is good rainfall and hopefully our agricultural operations will not be affected," the chief minister said.

Rejecting Andhra Pradesh's request for release of 50 tmc ft of Krishna waters, Karanataka chief minister Dharam Singh had yesterday categorically ruled out release of water to the lower riparian Andhra Pradesh.