Nagarjuna Sagar Drama Ends in Disaster

On the polling day of the Telangana assembly elections, the dramatic move by the Jagan government to seize the Nagarjuna Sagar dam with the police for releasing water to the Krishna delta failed miserably.

The government had asserted that it wouldn’t recall the state police deployed at the dam until they were granted the right to release water from the gates up to their territory in Sagar.

However, it is surprising that they are withdrawing forces without securing such a right.

Given the understanding that there is insufficient water supply in Nagarjuna Sagar, the audacious act of Krishna raiding Sagar in the middle of the night and occupying 13 gates without indenting the board has been widely criticized.

Criticisms suggest that Jagan opted for this approach to assist KCR in winning the Telangana elections and to incite sentiment. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla severely criticized Jagan’s government.

The Secretary of the Water Power Department, Debarshi Mukherjee, also raised objections, questioning the purpose without obtaining the original indent.

Chief Secretary Jawahar Reddy was instructed to immediately withdraw the police from Sagar.

Union Hydropower Secretary Debarshi Mukherjee is scheduled to hold a video conference meeting with the Chief Secretaries of both governments from Delhi.

However, it is doubtful whether the Telangana Chief Secretary, who is busy with the responsibility of forming a new government, will attend the meeting. If that happens, the meeting may be postponed again.