VIJAYAWADA: THE Krishna River Management Board’s (KRMB) five member committee, on interstate sharing of water, is learnt to have decided to constitute a high power Committee to examine the request of Chennai officials to supply water from Kandaleru reservoir. While the water resources department officials of Tamil Nadu sought the release of water between July and October, State officials, it is said, clarified that it was not possible to do so until November as Andhra Pradesh gets water only in August and t h e fo l l owing months. The committee held a virtual meeting on Wednesday, during which the board members along with officials from AP, Telangana and other States discussed various issues.
When the officials from Chennai sought release of water from Kandaleru, the AP officials reportedly expressed their inability to do so as the State would be getting required water only in August and subsequent months. In this context, the neighbouring state officials were said to have asked if stored water could be released, to which the board committee decided that the high power committee would examine it. It may be recalled that the Andhra Pradesh water resources department released over 8 TMCft, the promised quota, of water to Chennai between October last year and June 2020.
This, according to the officials, is said to be one of the highest releases since the pact was made with the neighbouring State in 1996. During the meeting, it is also learnt that the Telangana government raised an issue over utilisation of water by Andhra Pradesh and sought the board’s action against the same. The Andhra Pradesh officials, in fact, have written a letter to the board earlier this week complaining that Telangana officials started using Srisailam water for power generation even before the water reached the requisite level.
TN seeks Kandaleru water
When Tamil Nadu officials sought release of water from Kandaleru, AP officials expressed their inability as the State would be getting water only in August and subsequent months. Then TN officials asked if stored water could be released.