VIJAYAWADA/HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government is all set to give its consent on Tuesday for the Apex Council meeting scheduled for August 5 in New Delhi, where issues related to sharing Krishna river water between AP and Telangana are to be discussed.
The Union Jal Shakti Ministry called for the meeting in view of the simmering differences between the two states over the proposed new projects and ongoing ones in the Krishna River basin.
Sources said the Apex Council itself has set a four-point agenda for the meeting — KRMB’s jurisdiction, new projects on the Krishna, location of the KRMB headquarters, and mechanism for Krishana and Godavari water sharing between AP and TS.
However, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao decided to have the Apex Council meeting postponed, probably to August 20, but the AP government has not received any communication from the Apex Council to this effect.
Till July, the cumulative inflow to Srisailam was 54.98 tmcft, whereas the water drawn by TS Genco through power generation alone was 32.27 tmcft. “This type of indifferent attitude of TS Genco is detrimental to drinking water supply to the drought-prone areas of Rayalaseema, Nellore and fluoride-affected areas of Prakasam and Guntur districts,” AP’s engineer-in-chief C Narayana Reddy told the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).
The official said in his complaint that there is no need to draw water from Srisailam at present through power houses without prior intimation/approval from the KRMB. The AP official said that depletion of water through power houses only for power generation is against the operational protocol for use of water in Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar system.
“Power generation at Srisailam shall be done when the reservoir level is above 854 feet, as per the GO issued in September 2004 and when water is released to Nagarjuna Sagar project and Prakasam barrage for irrigation requirement,” AP contended, and requested the KRMB to ensure that TS complies with the rules. Power generation at the left bank should be stopped to increase the water level at Srisailam,” the official said.
KRMB tells TS to stop releasing water
The Krishna River Manage-ment Board has directed the Telangana govt to immediately stop releasing water from the Srisailam dam’s left bank power houses. The AP govt had on July 30 said the depleting water level in Srisailam dam will result in less drinking water for Rayalaseema and Chennai