HYDERABAD: Will sharing of Krishna river waters for this year be done amicably between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana? If there is no consensus on water sharing between the sibling States, what decision would the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) take?
In such a case, the KRMB is unlikely to take a decision on water sharing between the two States at the Board meeting on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. Then the Board, in all probability, may refer the matter to the Jal Shakti Ministry for a solution. Among other subjects, the issue of water sharing between the States is the main agenda for the meeting.
Though the projects common to both States — Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar — have filled up to the brim, the Board has not allocated water to either State during the current water year. While Telangana wants a 50 per cent share in 811 tmcft of assured waters of Krishna river, AP has opposed the same, and wants the Board to continue the existing sharing ratio of 66:34 between AP and Telangana.
As the officials of both States will present their arguments in the meeting, the Board will not be able to take a decision favouring any State. In such a case, the Board may refer the matter to the Jal Shakti Ministry for a solution, sources said.
At a recent review meeting, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had told the officials, “We are a separate State now. We need not beg anyone for our rightful share in river waters. Present effective arguments before the Board and see that Telangana gets 50 per cent share of waters in Krishna.”
Meanwhile, after the KRMB board meeting is conducted on Wednesday, the joint meeting of the coordination committees of KRMB and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) will be held the same evening, where the implementation of provisions of the Jal Shakti gazette notification will be discussed.