Telangana Government has requested the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) to keep in abeyance the clearances given by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra projects in Karnataka till the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) Award is published, stating that several interstate aspects related to allocation of water were not examined.
In a letter addressed to Secretary of MoJS Pankaj Kumar, Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) of Telangana Rajat Kumar stated that while giving clearance to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra projects the Project Appraisal Directorate (South) of CWC did not examine several interstate aspects related to water allocation made by KWDT-I and subsequent developments during the proceedings before KWDT-II.
He pointed out that liberty in the en bloc utilisation of Krishna waters was not applicable to K-8 sub-basin in toto as utilisations in the sub-basin were subjected to several restrictions explicitly mandated in Clause-IX of KWDT-I Award. An examination of KWDT-I report would make it clear that the Tribunal did not allocate any water to Upper Tunga and Upper Bhadra project, Mr. Rajak Kumar noted.
