Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government on June 15 submitted its objections to the Central Water Commission (CWC) over the projects by Karnataka on river Chitravathi of Pennar Basin.

Minister for Major Irrigation, Kadiyam Srihari told reporters that a detailed memorandum has been presented to the members of CWC led by S K Das, pleading to stop immediately the construction of the projects over Chitravathi River, which was basically denying the drinking water to drought-hit Anantpur district.

Tracing out the history of dispute over the waters since1892 between the two states and mutual agreements Srihari said the government has also filed a suit in the Supreme Court in May 2003.

The CWC members, who would meet the Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna on June 16, will also be visiting the Paragodu project site later in the day.

However, Das who heard the AP version and received a detailed submission from the state principal secretary, Irrigation, J Harinarayana told reporters that it was not in his purview to ask Karnataka government to stop works on projects.

The inter-state dispute over Chitravathi project has taken a new turn with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on June 14 telling an all party meeting to represent the state interest in New Delhi to rein in Karnataka to stop immediately all projects which ultimately were denying Andhra Pradesh, a lower riparian state of its right over Chitravathi waters.

Srihari said the all party delegation, which is being led by Naidu will meet the Prime Minister A B Vajpayee before he leaves for China on June 22.

PTI