Telangana trying to create new problem over water-sharing: Jarkiholi

BELAGAVI: Karnataka has hit out at Telangana over the latter’s demand for the constitution of a fresh tribunal to share Krishna river water. Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi said on Saturday the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal had already given its final award granting Karnataka, Maharashtra and the earlier united Andhra Pradesh their share of water and said he was committed to safeguarding the interests of Karnataka.

At this point, Telangana’s plea for setting up a new water disputes tribunal is illogical, he said and accused it of trying to create a new controversy.The Centre had constituted the Tribunal for adjudicating the dispute between Maharashtra, Karnataka and erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and the tribunal in 2013 recommended allocation of water to these states. However, on account of a stay by the Supreme Court in 2011, the award could not be published in the official gazette.

In an official statement, Jarkiholi said he had brought the issue to the notice of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on how Telangana had been creating problems by demanding a tribunal again.
As Telangana was a part of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, both those states must work out the issue of water-sharing, Jarkiholi said. “The petitions filed in the Supreme Court  for the formation of a fresh tribunal have been suspended already,’’ he added.

Commenting on the Mahadayi project, Jarkiholi called the contempt petition filed by Goa government in Supreme court as illogical. The BJP government which had promised to implement the Mahadayi project would initiate all  required measures to ensure its implementation, he asserted. Jarkiholi said he had written to the Jal Shakti Minister to help ensure that Karnataka government got its share of water from Krishna as well as Mahadayi river at the earliest.