Upset with 66:34 ratio, Telangana demands 50 per cent share of  Krishna river

HYDERABAD:  Peeved over the “ex parte notice” issued by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to continue Krishna river water sharing arrangement in the ratio of 66:34 for 2022-23, the Telangana government on Tuesday asked the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) to convene a meeting of all stakeholders to take a decision on the legitimate requirements of the State. 

Telangana has already demanded 50 per cent share of the 811 tmcft assured waters of the Krishna river. “An early date may be indicated for the meeting, before the onset of the monsoon,” Special Chief Secretary Irrigation Rajat Kumar said in his letter to the MoJS Secretary.

Though Telangana officials had been insisting on 50 per cent share in Krishna river waters, the KRMB had in May this year decided to continue with the 66:34 ratio for the current water year too. “The KRMB has issued an ex-parte notice to continue the water sharing arrangement in the ratio of 66:34 for the water year 2022-23. This action on the part of KRMB is not legally valid as the Board is only empowered to take decisions through negotiations and mutual agreement,” Rajat Kumar wrote. It may be recalled here that Rajat Kumar had met MoJS officials recently and explained Telangana’s requirements. 

In his letter, he requested the Ministry to resolve the matter by convening a meeting of the stakeholders, where a considered decision can be taken on the legitimate requirements of Telangana State, pending settlement of the issue of fair and equitable sharing of Krishna waters by the Tribunal. 

Pointing out that Telangana’s request to refer the matter under Section 3 of Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, for allocating fair and equitable share of Krishna water to the new State was still pending with the Centre, the Special Chief Secretary wanted the Jal Shakti Ministry to resolve other long pending demands — including utilisation of 45 tmcft Krishna waters by Telangana’s unserved in-basin areas in lieu of diversion of Godavari waters from Polavaram. 

“As per the Bachawat Tribunal award, only 20 per cent of drawls made for drinking water supply shall be accounted for consumptive use. Carry over of unutilised share of water by Telangana to the next water year out of its own share to meet exigencies like drinking water needs of Hyderabad and early irrigation requirements of Nagarjunasagar Project,” Rajat Kumar wrote. 

‘AP DUMPS VELIGONDA PROJECT WASTE INTO SRISAILAM RESERVOIR’
The Telangana government on Tuesday wrote to the KRMB requesting initiation of necessary action against the AP government for taking up the Veligonda project tunnel works from Kothuru, in Prakasam district. Irrigation Department Engineer-in-Chief C Muralidhar said that AP, while executing the Veligonda works, has been dumping waste along the banks of the River Krishna towards the Srisailam right bank. “Already, storage capacity of Srisailam has diminished. Storage capacity will further get reduced due to the tunnel waste being added to the reservoir,” Muralidhar wrote. He requested the KRMB to prevent AP from taking up such illegal activities and also requested to obtain complete details by inspecting the site on priority