HYDERABAD: Telangana and Karnataka have agreed in principle to cooperate on the construction of barrages across the Krishna river following discussions on river water utilisation held in Hyderabad on Monday.
A joint meeting between Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Karnataka Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju decided to constitute a joint committee to study the proposals and brief the chief ministers of both states.
According to sources, Karnataka proposed constructing a barrage across the Krishna near Raichur for drinking water purposes, while Telangana proposed barrages near Kolpur on the Krishna and Tangidi on the Bhima river.
Uttam said the state government would protect Telangana’s interests in Krishna waters while working towards inter-state cooperation to address drinking water needs.
He said officials from both states would hold further discussions to improve coordination and resolve technical issues. “Detailed discussions were held on utilisation of Krishna waters in a manner beneficial to both states without compromising Telangana’s irrigation and drinking water rights,” he said.