Amid the ongoing Krishna river water dispute between the Telugu states, the Telangana government on July 3 declared that the state will henceforth draw 50% of the water from the Krishna river water. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that the state would start drawing half of the Krishna water allocated to the Telugu states, i.e. 405.5 TMC. After bifurcation in 2014, of the 811 TMC of water allocated to the former united state, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were sharing water in 66:34 ratio (512 TMC and 299 TMC respectively.) A high-level meeting headed by CM KCR on Saturday also resolved that Telangana would not recognise the works taken up by Andhra Pradesh under the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), terming the projects ‘illegal’.
Earlier in May, the Andhra Pradesh government sanctioned a few works under the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS). This included the upgradation of Pothireddypadu head regulator canal system and other projects worth over Rs 7,000 crore. The projects would result in Andhra drawing an additional quantity of six to eight TMCs (thousand million cubic feet) of water per day from the Srisailam reservoir on the Krishna river.
The meeting decided that Telangana would not recognise the Pothireddypadu head regulator canal system works taken up by Andhra Pradesh under RLIS, stating that the project was being taken up without any water allocation or environmental clearance, and despite being stayed by the National Green Tribunal. The Pothireddypady head regulator works, which were sanctioned by the Andhra Pradesh government in May 2020, acted as a trigger for the ongoing Krishna water dispute.
In the past few days, the dispute has escalated with Andhra Pradesh demanding that Telangana stop hydel power generation at Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects. Both states have deployed security forces in the border areas around the common projects, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has even written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to rein in Telangana from ‘illegally’ drawing water for power generation. Jagan also asked the Union government to deploy the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the common reservoirs to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana government, however, has declared that it will not stop hydel power generation.
“Hydel power generation will continue as long as water is available at Jurala, Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala projects,” the meeting resolved, stating that there are no agreements on hydel power generation between the two states, and that the KRMB (Krishna River Management Board) does not have the right to ask the state to stop hydel power generation. Refuting the Andhra Pradesh government’s allegation that Telangana’s hydel power generation on Pulichintala was leading to wasted river water flowing into the sea, Telangana advised Andhra Pradesh to divert water from Pulichintala through Prakasam barrage for the state’s needs. Asserting that Telangana will continue with hydel power generation in the interest of its focus on clean energy, CM and other officials also urged the KRMB to postpone its meeting scheduled for July 9 and hold it after July 20, and to include the issues raised by Telangana in its agenda.
The meeting also resolved that security measures will continue along the Krishna river projects, and only Telangana electricity companies’ employees with ID will be allowed near the Srisailam dam. The meeting chaired by CM KCR was also attended by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Secretary in Chief Minister’s Office Smita Sabharwal, Special Chief Secretary for Water Resources Rajat Kumar and other officials.