Nagarjunasagar Security Handed Over to CRPF

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will take over security at the Nagarjunasagar dam, which has been at the centre of a latest flare up between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with AP being accused by Telangana of taking over the dam forcibly, and illegally releasing water to Andhra Pradesh through the dam’s right canal.

The suggestion that the security of the dam be handed over to the CRPF came from Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla who on Friday held a teleconference with Chief Secretaries from both the states — A Santhi Kumari from Telangana and K.S. Jawahar Reddy from AP. The meeting was also attended by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), and senior officials from the police and irrigation department of



Telangana.

According to an official news release from the Telangana government, Santhi Kumari said that by its actions of forcibly taking over the dam and its operations, Andhra Pradesh created law and order problems, especially when the entire state administration was busy in conducting elections to the Legislative Assembly.

She also said AP’s unilateral decision to release water to itself from Nagarjunasagar will create water supply problems to the nearly two crore people in and around Hyderabad, and suggested that the status-quo being maintained over the last 10 years must continue. Bhalla responded that for the time being, the dam will be under the control of CRPF personnel.