Maharashtra promises to put Babli project on hold

New Delhi, Apr 4 (UNI) Maharashtra Government has promised to put its Babli project on the hold until techincal team convinces their Andhra Pradesh that the project will not jeopardise the rights of submersion areas of Sriram Sagar project.

An assurance to this effect was given by Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh during the meeting convened by Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz where he assured to abide by the Centre's decision.

The project is to come up in Maharashtra in the upstream areas of Sriram Sagar project across river Godavari. Andhra Pradesh contends that it had paid compensation as per the agreement signed between the two states for the submersion of land on Maharashtra side.

Technical teams of both states will talk to Central Water Commission and nobody could brow beat anybody because the satellite imagery was very accurate. The Union Minister had stated that he would advice the CWC to complete the process before May 20.

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