HYDERABAD: Even as the battle over Krishna river water sharing continues to rage, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are suiting up for another showdown, this time over Godavari water. There is a general perception that both the States have issues only with regard to Krishna water sharing and that they are on the same page over Godavari, as there is plenty of water in the river. Proving that this is nothing but a misnomer, Andhra Pradesh Engineer-in-Chief C Narayana Reddy, on Tuesday, said that Telangana planned to utilise 1,350 tmcft water in the Godavari, of the 1,430 tmcft allocated to the combined Andhra Pradesh State.
“If Telangana utilises the entire volume of water, then what is left for Polavaram and Godavari delta,” he asked. He contended that Telangana planned to draw Godavari water through Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), Tupakula Gudem, Devadula, Sitarama and other projects. The State is also diverting Godavari water to Krishna basin, he pointed out. The volume of surplus water that ended up in the sea from the Godavari from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021, was 3,481.88 tmcft, while the water that was emptied into sea from June 1, 2021, till date was 414.146 tmcft.
Andhra Pradesh officials pointed out that the water was going waste due to non-utilisation of the same by Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. “If those States utilised their share, then not much water would be left in the Godavari,” he said. However, officials of the Telangana Irrigation Department said that the State’s utilisation was confined only to 967.9 tmcft of the total allocation of 1,430 tmcft.
“Andhra Pradesh’s claims are untrue. Let the officials substantiate their argument by providing statistics,” a Telangana official said. He recalled that the State arrived at the 967.9-tmcft share as per the note circulated by the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, during a discussion in the Assembly on the draft AP Reorganisation Bill.