Andhra Pradesh has released 1,000 cusecs water from Kandaleru reservoir after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa took up the matter with her counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, the state government said today.
The water project plays an important role in addressing drinking water needs of Chennai and the latest discharge was not part of the inter-state agreement but had been realised due to Jayalalithaa's efforts, an official release here said.
As per the agreement, Tamil Nadu should receive 4 tmcft of water between January and April but had realised only a little over 1.78 tmcft till March 20 this year, it said.
Jayalalithaa took up the matter with Naidu when he telephoned her on May 24, a day after she returned as chief minister of the state, to congratulate her for the same, it said.
Jayalalithaa "stressed the need for releasing water for Chennai's drinking water needs," with him, it said, adding Andhra Pradesh had as a result released water on June 1.
The released water was expected to reach 'Zero Point' at the border town of Uthukottai in the state.
While it was not mandatory under the inter-state agreement that water should be discharged in June, it had, however, been done so as a result of Jayalalithaa's efforts, it said.
