VIJAYAWADA: Even as Telangana has been insisting on a 50:50 ratio in sharing of Krishna water from this year, the Andhra Pradesh government has written to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) seeking 70:30 allocation for the current water year 2021-22, ahead of the full board meeting scheduled for August 27. The AP government suggested that until the proceedings of Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal -II conclude, the same arrangement should be followed.
As against the working arrangement of 66:34 ratio of water sharing that has been in place, Telangana has been pushing for equal share of the 811 TMC of water, i.e. 405.5 TMC as opposed to 512 TMC for AP and 299 for TS. Noting the “persistent” demand of the neighbouring State, the board has also included the same for discussion in the agenda of the upcoming board meeting next week. However, Andhra Pradesh’s engineer-in-chief (irrigation) C Narayana Reddy shot off a letter recently to the board seeking 70:30 ratio in sharing of Krishna water.
The AP official once again complained against utilisation of 175.54 TMC of water from minor irrigation projects by Telangana against the allocated 89.15 TMC. AP contended that if the 175.54 TMC is accounted for in the neighbouring state’s 299 TMC allocation and AP’s 22.11 TMC in its 512 TMC, the overall allocation comes to 80:20 ratio. If TS restricts itself to 89.15 TMC and AP to 22.11 TMC, then it would be in a 70:30 ratio. Hence, the 70:30 principle should be finalised for the current year, the ENC said. For the record, AP had already complained over higher utilisation using minor irrigation projects and construction of new such projects sans clearances, and the board has also included the same in the agenda for discussion for the next week’s meeting.
Further, the ENC has also complained that Telangana has taken up several major and medium projects without necessary clearances and without finalisation of water allocation, despite Union Ministry of Jal Shakti making it clear that projects san technical appraisal other than those mentioned in schedule XI of AP Reorganisation Act can’t be taken up. AP alleged that several lift irrigation schemes were taken up by TS to divert Godavari water to Krishna basin. While Telangana has repeatedly demanded an additional share of 45 TMC in Krishna water subsequent to the clearance of Polavaram project, AP has claimed that the neighbour was diverting 214 TMC of Godavari water to Krishna basin and suggested that telemetry devices be used to measure the actual utilisation. Referring to the five lift schemes in Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts and 37 other major and medium projects, AP alleged that 42 new projects were taken up by TS, besides lakes and check dams.
AP has once again requested that the water used by Telangana unilaterally for power generation since June this year be accounted against its 299 TMC quota. Further, the state said that Nagarjuna Sagar right power house and tail pond power house were in its territory. Since both the states have water releases on the left side of Nagarjuna Sagar, power should be shared in the ratio of water release, it added.
Although Pulichintala is in TS, the ayacut is in AP, and since water release should be done as per irrigation needs of the ayacut, power generated there should also be divided, AP proposed. While TS has been insisting on 50:50 share, irrigation experts opined that it was not up for the board to change the allocation as any changes can be done only by the tribunal. A retired chief engineer was of the view that the board may refer the matter to the union ministry, which has sought legal opinion if the matter could be referred to a new tribunal or to the existing one. Until then, the same arrangement may be continued.
Water share at present: 66:34: AP, TS
811 TMC Total water
512 TMC for Andhra Pradesh
299 TMC for Telangana
50: 50 What Telangana wants
Tribunal decision
While TS has been insisting on 50:50 share and KRMB included it in the agenda, irrigation experts opined that it was not up for the board to change the allocation as any changes can be done by
only by the tribunal