HYDERABAD: TRS leaders on Wednesday cried foul at yet another letter written by Andhra Pradesh asking the Krishna River Management Board not to release Krishna water to Telangana, a day after Telangana irrigation minister T Harish Rao had said that the ‘Andhra Babu’ would not protect the interests of Telangana state.
AP irrigation engineer-in-chief M Venkateswara Rao, in his letter, requested the board to direct the Telangana government to stop drawing water through the powerhouses at Srisailam till further orders by KRMB. “During the current water year, the quantum of water drawls by AP and Telangana from the powerhouses of Srisailam reservoir are not equal. While AP has drawn 82.15 tmcft of water from the Srisailam right bank powerhouse, Telangana has drawn 123.61 tmcft during the same period from left bank powerhouse,” the AP official told KRMB in his letter.
However, Telangana irrigation officials disputed with AP’s argument. “Krishna waters should be shared between AP and TS in the ratio of 63.13:36.87. So far, in this water year, AP has utilised 75.74 per cent water, which is 10 per cent higher than. At the same time, TS used only 24.26 per of water. As against the actual allotment of 82.5 tmcft to it, Telangana used only 34.10 tmcft of water so far,” an official explained.