HYDERABAD: Senior advocate for Telangana, CS Vaidyanathan, on Friday presented arguments before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal on issues concerning Andhra Pradesh’s diversion of surplus water to outside basin projects. He sought directions from the tribunal on the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS), allocation of 45 tmcft of Godavari diversion from Polavaram as per the GWDT Award, and the treatment of savings from evaporation losses at Srisailam and Pulichintala reservoirs.
Vaidyanathan pointed out that substantial quantities of Krishna river water — up to 40 tmcft — had been diverted by the Telugu Ganga Project of AP to outside basin areas without any allocation from a Water Disputes Tribunal, even during deficit years. He argued that Andhra Pradesh’s reliance on the Central government’s Gazette Notification of July 2022, which lists projects under Schedule-XI as approved, was a misinterpretation of the notification.
He further contended that erstwhile AP had only been given liberty to use remaining water without any specific allocation by either KWDT-I or KWDT-II. Despite this, AP proposed an ayacut of 16.3 lakh acres under surplus-based projects and later expanded it to 26.3 lakh acres, without tribunal approval. This diversion, he said, also deprived the Krishna basin of return flows.
The senior counsel pleaded that no apportionment should be made for outside basin projects and sought specific restrictions on drawal systems such as Pothireddypadu, Muchumarri, HNSS and Veligonda outlets. He urged that interim directions be issued to the Krishna River Management Board to prevent diversions in violation of award provisions.
He also highlighted that Karnataka and Maharashtra were demanding a greater share in Krishna waters, citing augmentation from the Godavari. He argued that shortages in the Krishna basin were primarily caused by AP’s over-appropriation for outside basin use. Referring to the 1978 interstate agreement, he noted that 80 tmcft of water upstream of Nagarjunasagar was to be shared — 45 tmcft to AP and 35 tmcft to Karnataka and Maharashtra. Since all in-basin requirements fall within Telangana, he argued, AP should not be allowed to use its 45 tmcft share for outside basin projects.