The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has decided to refer the matter of Krishna water share for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for the coming water year – June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024, – to the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), as the two member states are adamant on their respective stands at the board meeting held here on Wednesday.
The board has been continuing the water share in the ratio of 34:66 (TS:AP) for the last nine water years although it was agreed upon as an ad hoc arrangement for review every year. As expected, Telangana insisted on 50:50 share till the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal (KWDT-II) finalised the allocation among the two States out of the combine allocation of 811 tmc ft assured water, while the AP authorities wanted the existing arrangement to be continued for 2023-24 too.
With the two States refusing to budge on their respective stand, chairman of the river board Shiv Nandan Kumar decided to refer the matter to the Centre (MoJS) for taking a decision on the complex issue. The meeting was attended by Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar and Engineer-in-Chief (General) C. Muralidhar on behalf of Telangana and Principal Secretary (Water Resources) Shashibhushan Kumar and ENC C. Narayana Reddy on behalf of AP.
The AP authorities stated that the share of 66:34 (AP:TS) being continued for the last nine years has some basis and the River Board has no powers to change allocation except the Tribunal. The Telangana authorities stated that there was no allocation for AP, TS separately in the KWDT-I and AP was trying to impose the injustice done to Telangana further.
“The board’s decision to refer the matter of water share between AP and TS is a substantial step forward in our long fight for justice. The River Board can’t impose on use (Telangana) to accept for the existing ratio of water share further as it has no right to decide on water shares and the ratio being followed has no sanctity since it is only an ad hoc arrangement,” Mr. Rajat Kumar said later.
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Other decisions taken at KRMB meet
To get a study done by Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) on RDS modernisation in 3 months
The study will help take up from next works season to ensure Telangana get its allocated share of water in RDS
To get a technical study done on the TS demand for considering only 20% of water drawn for drinking needs of Hyderabad
To allow Telangana to take up Sunkishala intake well works for drawing drinking water to Hyderabad
AP authorities inform River Board that they are not carrying out any works on RLIP (Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project) and RDS Right Canal
To collect telemetry data at points already agreed upon and go for more
