HYDERABAD: Former Union Jal Shakti advisor and Maharashtra government adviser Vedire Sriram on Tuesday alleged that the 299 tmcft Krishna water agreement entered into during the tenure of former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had harmed Telangana’s interests.
Speaking at the BJP state office, Sriram made the remarks while giving a presentation on Krishna water sharing, in response to recent comments by KCR.
Sriram said that during an earlier apex council meeting, when 811 tmcft of Krishna water was under discussion, K Chandrasekhar Rao agreed to a share of 299 tmcft. He questioned the basis for accepting such a figure and said the implications were now evident, particularly for the Palamuru region.
He alleged that the agreement was reached without considering the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project, which was already in the planning stage, and added that even the allocated water was not fully utilised.
Sriram also criticised election-time claims on irrigation, stating that water had not reached even a single acre. He noted that the Union government had constituted a new tribunal to reallocate 1,050 tmcft of Krishna water between the two Telugu states.
He said that with a planned approach and strong legal representation, Telangana could seek a share of over 650 tmcft.