Andhra Pradesh water resources development corporation act (1997)

This act was legislated in 1997 to create the Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Development Corporation for promotion and operation of irrigation projects, command area development and schemes for drinking water and industrial water supply to harness the water of rivers of the state of Andhra Pradesh and for related matters including flood control. 

The Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Development Corporation Act primarily seeks:

• to promote and operate irrigation projects and command area development including flood control;
• to plan, investigate, design, construct and manage the irrigation projects and do command area development;
• to plan, investigate, design, construct and manage drinking water supply schemes;
• to plan, investigate, design, construct and manage industrial water supply schemes;
• to promote irrigation related activities such as fisheries, pisciculture, floriculture, horticulture, sericulture, tissue culture etc; and
• to promote tourism, water sports and other related activities around the irrigation projects.

The corporation has been given wide-ranging powers to manage the various sectoral uses of water. Under this act, Water Users Associations have been held responsible for maintenance of the canals and management of water. The Corporation shall, from time to time determine and levy water charges according to volume, for supply of water for irrigation, industrial and domestic purposes to the State Government, local authorities, Government agencies, cultivators and water users associations. 

The act passed in 1997 was amended in 2004; clause 34 which read “shall not exceed rupees one thousand crores” was substituted by the words “shall not exceed three thousand crores”.

For the full text of the act see here