Telangana alone should address water needs of Hyderabad: KRMB

HYDERABAD: Even though Hyderabad city continues to serve as the common capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states, the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) stated that the drinking water needs of the city should be met by Telangana state alone from its share of Krishna waters.
During the seventh board meeting of the KRMB held at Jalasoudha here on Saturday, Telangana argued that AP too should release Krishna water from its share for drinking water needs of Hyderabad. “Supply of water to Hyderabad is a collective responsibility of both AP and TS, as Hyderabad is a common capital,”  TS irrigation department officials contended.  But, the board rejected the argument outright.

Later, speaking to reporters, KRMB chairman AK Srivastava said the drinking water needs of towns and cities located in each state should be met by the respective states from its share of water only. “Hyderabad is located in Telangana. Hence, Telangana has to address the drinking water needs of the city,” Srivastava said.The board has finally decided to share the available 330 tmcft  of water in both Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam reservoirs in the ratio of 512:299 (66:34) to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. The ratio was adopted based on the assured water allocated to AP (512 tmcft) and TS (299 tmcft). 

Accordingly, this year AP will get 217.8 tmcft  and TS will get 112.2 tmcft of water for drinking and irrigation needs. “We will release the water as and when required  for both the states,” he said.
Disputing with this, special chief secretary (irrigation) of Telangana, SK Joshi, objected that the 66:34 ratio was adopted by the Apex Council two years ago and it was valid only for a year. “AP is drawing 80 tmcft of water from Godavari through Pattiseema. So, TS should get more water from Krishna river,” Joshi argued.

However, AP irrigation secretary Shashi Bhushan Kumar said Pattiseema diversion should not be treated as Polavaram diversion.Srivastava said that Pattiseema and Polavaram were in the jurisdiction of Brijesh Kumar Tribunal. 

3-member panel to account for water
When TS pointed out that there were no accounts for utilisation of 100 tmcft of water this year as AP drew most of the water through Pothireddypadu, the Board decided to constitute a three-member committee with officials form AP, TS and KRMB to account for the water received this year. 
On AP irrigation secretary Sashi Bhushan’s demand to count the Telangana’s minor irrigation water utilisation, the board has decided to take the help of National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA).
On Pothireddypadu telemetry system, the chairman said telemetry was not commissioned officially. “There are problems with four to five other telemetry systems too. We have asked the contracting agency to rectify them,” he added.