HYDERABAD: The Union ministry of water resources has, finally, understood the demand of the Telangana government for an extra quota of 45 tmcft of Krishna river water.“We will resolve the matter and provide you water soon,” is the assurance given by the ministry to state irrigation minister T Harish Rao at the first ‘Regional Conference of Southern States on Water Resources’ held here on Tuesday.
Telangana has been demanding additional allocation of Krishna water following the diversion of Godavari water to Krishna river through Pattiseema by the Andhra Pradesh government. Harish Rao explained that TS had the right to extra water as per the Bachawat Tribunal award. But AP officials objected to this claim. Harish Rao quoted newspaper advertisements issued by AP claiming the success of diversion of 100 tmcft of Godavari water through Pattiseema in this season. Thus, the Union water resources ministry and the National Water Agency said they understood the problem and would see that TS got 45 tmcft more of Krishna water soon.
AP officials alleged that TS was constructing KLIS without obtaining permissions. Harish Rao informed Union minister of state for water resources Arjun Ram Meghwal, who chaired the meeting, that KLIS was a project sanctioned by erstwhile united state government.
Further, it is learnt that Harish Rao also tried to corner AP on Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS). Though modernisation of RDS was sanctioned by the united AP government, the present AP government and farmers were not cooperating with the Karnataka government for completing the works. Harish Rao “cross-examined” Karnataka officials on their ability to complete the works or would face any problems from AP. Karnataka officials said they were not getting the required support from AP. Then, the Union minister wondered why the combined AP government’s decision was not binding now. “We have successfully exposed AP’s attitude. The Union minister understood the facts,” Harish Rao told Express after the meeting.
Another major success for Telangana was that when officials proposed the inter-linking of rivers, Harish Rao said TS needed around 1,500 tmcft of both Godavari and Krishna waters. The Union minister agreed to conduct a study on water availability in the Godavari. “The minister assured us that the detailed project report on inter-linking of Godavari with other rivers will be prepared only after carrying out the study on the availability of water in Godavari,” Rao said.
AP’s objection brushed aside
Telangana chief secretary SK Joshi appealed to the Union minister to implement “rule of law” in the distribution of river waters. Agreeing with the suggestion, Meghwal brushed aside AP’s objections to the projects in Telangana. “If cultivable land increases in TS, it will benefit India, not Pakistan”, Meghwal is learnt to have remarked