Telangana's "whimsical" acts depriving Andhra of its share of water: Andhra CM to PM
VIJAYAWADA: Days after the Telangana CM called for a 50:50 ratio in sharing of Krishna water, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has shot off another letter, the second in a week’s span, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining about the illegal and indiscriminate drawl of water by the neighbouring State for power generation in violation of water sharing pacts. Explaining how the whimsical acts of Telangana were resulting in wastage of precious water and depriving Andhra of its rightful share, Jagan has once again urged Modi to notify the jurisdiction of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and take over the operation of all common reservoirs.
While informing the PM that no effective steps were taken despite repeated complaints to the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and the KRMB about the unauthorised projects taken up by Telangana on Krishna, Jagan felt that the KRMB was not effective in discharging its duties. “It is not acting in the manner it is expected to when it comes to protecting the legitimate interests of Andhra Pradesh,” he alleged. The letter written to the PM on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, comes in the wake of a raging water dispute as Telangana continues to use Krishna water from common projects for hydel power generation, which Andhra has repeatedly opposed claiming that was resulting in letting surplus water at Prakasam Barrage waste into the sea.
“The intention of Telangana government is to deprive Andhra its due share of allocated water as the drawls will be delayed considerably and the water is being wasted by allowing it to surplus into the sea. As such, it was already requested that the KRMB may be directed to account for all these unauthorised drawls by Telangana against the agreed allocation of 299 TMC to that State,” Jagan noted. He also appended the agreement entered into by both the States in June, 2015, on how to share Krishna water, and said that the neighbouring State was violating all norms of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, putting Andhra in distress. Like in his previous letter to the PM dated July 1, the CM once again informed Modi that Telangana was not allowing the water level to rise in the Srisailam reservoir and utilised 19 TMC of the total 26 TMC of inflows since starting of the current water year on June 1.
He also provided details of water drawls from other common reservoirs such as Pulichintala by Telangana for power generation. “Because of the adamant attitude of Telangana, water level reaching +854 ft seems to be a herculean task, and this level is essential for drawing at least 6,000 cusecs through gravity for the schemes dependent on Pothireddypadu Head Regulator. Unless the water level reaches +881 ft, we will not be able draw the designed discharge capacity of 44,000 cusecs. This will cause severe distress to the chronically drought-hit four districts of Rayalaseema, Nellore, Prakasam and also Chennai city, as they depend on Srisailam for their drinking water and irrigation needs,” he explained.
CM Jagan further took the new projects taken up by the Telangana government without requisite clearances to the PM’s notice. “Telangana started construction of new projects of Palamuru Ranga Reddy LIS to lift 90 TMC (1.5 TMC/day) at 800 ft level and Dindi LIS to lift 30 TMC (0.5 TMC/day) at 800 ft. It is further enhancing the scope of Kalwakurthy LIS from 25 to 40 TMC (0.4 TMC/day) at 800 ft, SLBC from 30 to 40 TMC (0.5 TMC/day) at 825 ft to utilise a total of 200 TMC (3 TMC/day). Apart from this, Telangana is drawing 4 TMC of water for power generation at 796 ft level itself. In spite of repeated complaints to the MoJS and the KRMB, no effective steps have been taken so far,” he informed the PM. Andhra will be left with no water because of the whimsical acts and the belligerent attitude of Telangana in drawing water without authorisation and taking up a series of illegal projects, the CM added.
Citing the same, he said the Rayalaseema Lift Scheme was proposed by AP as there was no option left to supplement 3 TMC per day at +800 ft level to the existing projects such as Telugu Ganga, Srisailam Right Bank Canal, Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanthi, and supply of water to Chennai city. He added that the said projects in AP are legitimate with approvals and allocations under KWDT-I, and are also mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act. He also suggested that the control of all the offtakes of common projects, which include water for irrigation, power and drinking needs, be taken over by the KRMB with CISF security in the interest of both States. “Your kind intervention and direction to the MoJS and the Telangana government is requested on the issues raised above to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh,” Jagan concluded.
Andhra Pradesh is neither creating any new ayacut nor any new canal nor new storage under RLIS, CM Jagan Mohan Reddy clarified.