Andhra Pradesh has enough water to meet its needs: Telangana on Krishna water dispute

Says AP govt’s demand that TS stop power generation at Srisailam is not justifiable; AP has sufficient water in Kandaleru, Avuku, Veligonda and other projects
AP asks KRMB to prevail upon Telangana to stop the power generation in order to maintain the required water levels at Srisailam to meet the drinking water needs of the AP people
AP asks KRMB to prevail upon Telangana to stop the power generation in order to maintain the required water levels at Srisailam to meet the drinking water needs of the AP people

HYDERABAD: Even as the Andhra Pradesh government shot off another letter to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), on Wednesday, against the power generation by Telangana at Srisailam, the Telangana Irrigation officials pointed out the AP has 120 tmc-ft of water at present in Rayalaseema projects. “AP’s demand to stop power generation to meet their drinking water needs is not justifiable. We will not stop power generation at Srisailam,” TS Irrigation officials declared. According to sources in Telangana Irrigation Department, Andhra Pradesh utilised 620 tmc-ft of water from Krishna during the 2020-21 water year, which ended on May 31. The actual allocation of assured waters to AP was 599 tmc-ft.

AP State government in its third letter to KRMB wanted the Board to prevail upon Telangana to stop the power generation in order to maintain the required water levels at Srisailam to meet the drinking water needs of the AP people. However, the TS officials countered the AP’s argument. “We have specific information that AP’s current storage at various projects in Rayalaseema is around 120 tmc-ft. The AP has sufficient water in Kandaleru, Avuku, Veligonda and other projects,” the officials said. But, due to lack of storage, the TS could not utilise 45 tmcft of its allocated water of 299 tmc-ft.

The Board was not allowing TS to carry forward the unutilised water to next water year. The officials also pointed out that the Bachawat Tribunal had allocated only 33 tmc-ft of water for Srisailam that too for evaporation losses. There were no water allocations at all for Srisailam Project, which was meant for Hydel power generation. Later, only some allocations from Srisailam were made for Telugu Ganga Project, the officials said.

“Telangana needs cheaper power for its Lift Irrigation Schemes such as Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Bhima , Devadulaand Kaleshwaram, which are now being operated,” the official said. It may be mentioned here that there were no outflows from Srisailam spillway. The outflows from power house of Srisailam were 22,239 cusecs at 6 am on Wednesday. The TS Genco increased the hydel power generation to 22.16 million units per day from the five million units per day, a few days ago.

Heavy police bandobust at N’sagar

As tension between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been escalating over Krishna waters, Telangana government has increased the security at the Hydroelectric power plant at Nagarjuna Sagar in Nalgonda district. Police have been deployed in large numbers at all roads leading to the plant. Andhra Pradesh government has been claiming that TS has been drawing water from the Srisailam dam for power generation at the hydroelectric station on the left bank. In the light of fastchanging developments, police has increased the security.

FUNCTIONS OF KRMB

The functions of KRMB are laid down under clause 85 (8) of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. They are:

  • Regulation of supply of water from the projects to the successor States as per the Tribunal awards
  • Appraisal of any proposal for construction of new projects on Krishna river and giving technical clearance,after satisfying that such projects do not negatively impact the availability of water as per the awards of the Tribunals
  • Other functions as the Central Government may entrust to it on the basis of the principles specified in the Eleventh Schedule

Excerpt from the Bachawat Award relevant to AP and Telangana’s dispute:

“The lands of a river basin have prior claim on the waters of a river system and any part of these waters can be used for irrigation outside the basin only if that part is surplus after meeting the full requirements of the lands within the basin. Any irrigation use outside the basin, ignoring the claims of the basin itself, must sooner or later lead to undesirable complications.”

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