Centre takes up Orissa's complaint against AP on Vamsadhara

New Delhi, Apr 24 (UNI) The Centre today asked the Andhra Pradesh Government for details of the latest status of the Vamsadhara irrigation project Phase 11, being executed by the state in the face of strong objection by the Orissa government.

The Central directive came at a high-level meeting between officials of the two states presided over by the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources.

The meeting was convened after Orissa urged the Centre to intervene to stop Andhra Pradesh from digging two side canals to divert the course of the Vamsadhara river, depriving it of the much needed water, official sources told UNI.

The construction of the new canals is still to be cleared by the Central Water Commission, though it has been given a go ahead by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The Orissa Government has complained the neighbouring state started the work without taking it into confidence, which was against the spirit of the 1962 agreement on the sharing of the water.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already complained to the Prime Minister that the execution of the Phase 11 of the project was detrimental to the interests of Orissa.

He had also sought a separate tribunal to be constituted for sharing the waters of the Vamsadhara.

The Vamsadhara river originates in Orissa and runs 154 miles inside the state, then flows 29 km along the Orissa-Andhra Border before entering Andhra Pradesh.

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