The KRMB will consider the report by the committee comprising chief engineers of both states on 26 February, and may issue an order on releasing water to the two states.
Published Feb 25, 2025 | 3:37 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 25, 2025 | 3:37 PM
Telangana alleged that Andhra Pradesh illegally took water from both Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects. (South First)
Synopsis: A meeting of the Krishna River Management Board on Monday remained inconclusive, and the board asked both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to sit together, prepare and submit a report on their water requirements. Meanwhile, Telangana accused Andhra Pradesh of drawing water from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects in excess of its allocation. Not surprisingly, Andhra Pradesh refuted the charge but agreed to stop drawing water.
The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has formed a committee comprising the chief engineers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to arrive at a consensus on the vexed Krishna River water-sharing issue.
The committee was formed after a mediatory meeting the KRMB convened in Hyderabad on Monday, 24 February, could not resolve the dispute on sharing the available water from the Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam reservoirs for drinking and irrigation purposes.
It has been decided to convene another meeting on Wednesday, 26 February.
The committee, comprising chief engineers, has been asked to arrive at a consensus on the requirements of both states and submit a report to the board. The KRMB would consider the report on 26 February, and likely issue an order on releasing water to the two states.
On Monday’s meeting, Telangana, represented by Irrigation Department Principal Secretary Rahul Bojja, contended that there was no need for a fresh allotment of water to Andhra Pradesh since it had already used more than its quota for the water year ending on 31 May.
Andhra Pradesh, represented by its Engineer-in-Chief M Venkateswara Rao, however, sought water, citing an acute drinking water shortage. It also argued that it was drawing water from its allotted quota but agreed to temporarily halt drawing it from both reservoirs until a fresh allocation is made.
Telangana alleged that Andhra Pradesh has drawn water beyond its allotted quota from both Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam.
The board has been allocating water every year seasonally in a 66:34 ratio, as agreed upon between the two states in 2015.
The arrangement would remain in place pending the resolution of the Krishna water distribution issue, currently being heard by the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal.
Telangana claimed that Andhra Pradesh had already drawn 75 percent of the water instead of its allotted 66 percent this year and, therefore, was not entitled to any additional water.
It further alleged that Andhra Pradesh illegally took water from both Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects and demanded that Telangana be allocated 110 thousand million cubic feet (Tmcft) of water until the current water year-end for both irrigation and drinking purposes.
Telangana has been raising the issue with the KRMB after noticing Andhra Pradesh diverting water at a rate of 10,000 cusecs per day from the Nagarjuna Sagar Project through its right canal,
At a review meeting on 17 February, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed officials to take up the matter with the KRMB and ensure that telemetry devices were used to measure the volume of water that Andhra Pradesh was drawing from Nagarjuna Sagar.
The chief minister asked officials to exert pressure on the KRMB, as Andhra Pradesh has been opposing the installation of telemetric devices, raising suspicions that it was drawing more water than permitted.
He asserted that only telemetry devices would prevent Andhra Pradesh from drawing excessive water. However, officials informed him that the Andhra Pradesh government was not willing to bear the mandatory 50% cost for procuring the devices.
Revanth Reddy then directed irrigation officials to inform KRMB that Telangana would bear the entire cost of installing telemetry devices.
The chief minister also instructed officials to complain with the Union government against the Andhra Pradesh government, drawing its attention to the alleged overuse of water from the Nagarjuna Sagar Project and seeking the Centre’s intervention.
The Andhra Pradesh government has yet to respond to Telangana’s allegations that it was utilising water beyond its quota from the Nagarjuna Sagar Project. Telangana was hoping for an early finalisation of its share of Krishna waters.
After the bifurcation of the state, an ad hoc arrangement for water-sharing between the two newly formed states was made in 2015.
A total of 811 tmcft of water, originally allocated to the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal in 1976, was divided between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in a 66:34 ratio.
The KRMB, established under the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014, made this ad hoc water distribution. Under this arrangement, Telangana would get 299 tmcft, and Andhra Pradesh, 512 tmcft.
The allocation, reviewed annually, was based on the extent of the command area.
The Congress government in Telangana has been opposing this temporary arrangement. It called for a “fairer” and more permanent solution for water distribution.
(Edited by Majnu Babu)
