HYDERABAD: The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution declaring that the state government would not hand over common irrigation projects to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).
Moving the resolution, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that Andhra Pradesh got a bigger share of Krishna waters during the 10-year BRS rule, though inflows decreased considerably during the same period.
Uttam also played a video clip of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy lauding the then Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in the AP Assembly. “KCR and Jagan held one-on-one meetings and had biryani, as a result, injustice was done to Telangana in river water sharing,” Uttam alleged.
The minister also placed a detailed note on Irrigation in the Assembly on Monday. Later, making a PowerPoint presentation in the House, the Irrigation minister explained the ‘gross injustice’ done to Telangana in river water sharing during the BRS rule.
He said that Andhra Pradesh got more water in rivers, especially in the Krishna, after the formation of Telangana, even as the inflows into the rivers reduced during the same period. “AP got 50% more water in the 10-year BRS rule than the previous years,” Uttam said.
“The BRS claimed only 299 tmcft out of the 811 tmcft assured water in Krishna river and did injustice to Telangana,” the minister alleged while making the PowerPoint presentation.
ENC C Muralidhar’s resignation accepted with effect from Feb 8
Congress government has tabled a book of lies in the name of ‘Facts on Krishna’. The government’s decision not to hand over the projects on River Krishna to the KRMB is a victory of the people of Telangana and the BRS T Harish Rao, BRS MLA and former Irrigation minister
Telangana eligible for more than 60% share of waters, says Uttam
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that though the state was eligible for more than 60% share of Krishna waters considering the catchment area and other parameters, the BRS sought only 50% share.
However, BRS MLA and former Irrigation minister T Harish Rao countered this, stating that Uttam was uttering lies on the Floor of the House. Uttam in his PowerPoint presentation said that failure to act in time and deliberate negligence resulted in non-enhancement of Telangana’s share of water above 299 tmcft in the Krishna basin. “Delayed action, deliberate negligence and inordinate delay in completing the ongoing projects in Krishna basin led to the state missing the opportunity to stake a claim before the Tribunal and other fora,” he said, blaming the previous BRS government.
Telangana’s proposal for handing over projects with conditions reflects the intricacies of water management. The complex nature of the issues necessitates continued dialogue, legal adjudication, and a collaborative approach for a sustainable resolution, Uttam said.
KCR didn’t attend Apex Council meetings: Uttam
The Irrigation minister recalled that an Apex Council meeting was originally scheduled for August 5, 2020, but a letter was sent by the Telangana chief secretary on July 30, 2020, seeking postponement of the meeting to any day after August 20, 2020.
He said that the last date for submission of tenders for the Rayalaseema project of AP was August 10, 2020. “Thus, the then BRS government indirectly helped AP by seeking postponement of the Apex Council meeting after closing the bid of RLIS only to facilitate a smooth tendering process. Had the then BRS government stringently opposed this by attending Apex Council and raising the issue, the Centre might have taken some suitable decision to thwart the progress of the tender process,” the Irrigation minister said.
Opposition BRS MLAs frequently interrupted Uttam’s speech, demanding that they too be given an opportunity to make their own PowerPoint presentations.
The Resolution
In view of the historical injustice and the current situation, the House hereby resolves that the government of Telangana shall not hand over control of common projects to KRMB unless the conditions put forth by the state have been fulfilled. The conditions are:
Water sharing between AP and Telangana shall be on the basis of catchment area, drought prone area, basin population and cultivable area
In-basin needs shall be met first on priority as per KWDT-I
Srisailam project was sanctioned as a hydroelectric project by the Planning Commission in 1962 for supplying 264 tmcft to the Nagarjuna Sagar Project. Accordingly, MDDL of Srisailam shall be +830 ft as per KWDT-I Award
Outside basin diversions from Srisailam reservoir shall be limited to 34 tmcft (15 tmcft for Chennai water supply and 19 tmcft for SRBC) which were approved by CWC
The use towards drinking water shall be reckoned as 20% of drawal towards consumptive use as stipulated by KWDT-I
States shall be permitted to carry over water to the next year and the carry-over shall not be included in the next year’s account
Unauthorised construction of projects/new components diverting Krishna water outside the basin shall not be permitted strictly unless approved by CWC/MoWR
The House also resolves to request the Centre to withdraw the CRPF and hand over control of the project to Telangana
Through the APRA-2014, KRMB was created for regulating water sharing between sibling states. BRS govt also proposed handing over common projects — Srisailam and NSP to KRMB, which is detrimental to TS’ interests
After the formation of TS, sufficient attention was not given to the requirements of the Krishna basin and the then BRS govt agreed to the grossly unfair ratio of water sharing between the two states which is 299 tmcft to TS and 512 tmcft to AP
The Way Forward
The fresh terms of reference to the existing Brijesh Kumar Tribunal and the present govt’s initiatives give a ray of hope for achieving equitable share
This House shall escalate this issue at an appropriate level and attempt in full capacity to resolve KRMB issues