Govt to ensure Maharashtra does not use water above limit: CM

Hyderabad, Nov 25 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said all steps would be taken to ensure that not even an extra drop of water was permitted over and above the allocation of the 60 tmc to be used by Maharashtra as per the inter-state agreement, dated October 6, 1975.

A press release here said he addressed a brief meeting on the Babli issue with top officials at the Camp Office before leaving for Delhi today and directed the department officials to take all possible measures to see that the state's interests were safeguarded.

The Chief Minister reviewed the issue of construction of a series of barrages across river Godavari above Sriram Sagar Project by the Government of Maharashtra. He also reviewed the efforts made by the officials in protecting state's interests on the issue and said ''under no circumstances, the state's interest will be undermined and all our due rights should be protected'', the release added.

He asked the officials to be on the guard and to constantly monitor and apprise him of the developments on the issue from time to time, the release said.

Irrigation (projects) Principal Secretary S K Joshi and Secretaries Rajiv Ranjan Mishra and Adityanath Das, Legal Consultant to Government and former Advocate General D Sudarshan Reddy, Irrigation Chief Engineer P Rama Raju and other senior officials attended the meeting.

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