Telangana urges KRMB to stop A.P. from taking up new projects, expansions

HYDERABAD

The Irrigation Department of Telangana has complained to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) against the unauthorised projects taken up by Andhra Pradesh in violation of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014 and without securing approvals and clearances from the statutory agencies. It has requested the Board to restrain AP from taking up new projects.

In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the River Board, Engineer-in-Chief of Telangana O.V. Ramesh Babu said in response to the KRMB’s letter to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Telangana had submitted a compiled statement of government orders issued by AP in violation of the APRA 2014 according administrative sanctions for ₹47,776.5 crore works related to the utilisation of Krishna river waters through a letter addressed in 2021.

The works pertain to entirely new projects and proposals aimed at further enhancing the scope and extent of diversions at Pothireddypadu Head Regulator (PRP-HR) intended for utilisation in projects such as SRBC (Srisailam Right Bank Canal), TGP (Telugu Ganga Project), GNSS (Galeru-Nagari Sujala Sravanthi) and HNSS (Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi) from Srisailam.

Further, detailed communications were sent to the river board in 2022 and 2023 clearly bringing out the project-wise violations committed by AP with a request to the river board to restrain AP from undertaking any new schemes or capacity enhancements without due appraisal and recommendations of KRMB, approval of the Apex Council, stating that such actions by AP would have a direct and adverse impact on the legitimate water rights of Telangana.

Despite repeated requests and detailed representations made by Telangana, the unauthorised constructions and capacity expansions were being carried out by AP and no action was initiated either by the KRMB or by the Centre. In a striking contrast, the river board has written to the MoJS raising objectins to the projects of Telangana, “which appears wholly untenable and misplaced”, the ENC said.

In consonance with further terms of reference issued by the MoJS in October 2023, which expressly provide for project specific allocations by the KWDT-II Telangana has projected its demands and is seeking appropriate allocations, the ENC said.

He explained that Telangana had already furnished replies to the issues raised by AP through its letters addressed to the river board in 2021 and the projects were taken up by Telangana in accordance with the liberty granted by KWDT-I. Telangana had taken up additional online and offline storages within the basin, all of which were in existence prior to 2014 and do not attract provisions of the APRA 2014. In contrast, AP had consistently resorted to “clandestine diversion of waters outside the basin through PRP-HR”, he pointed out.

Additional demands planned by AP

Utilisation of and additional 114.75 tmc ft for irrigating 4,67,326 acres new ayacut in Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur, Chittoor, Prakasam and Nellore districts through existing projects

Utilisation of another 176.46 tmc ft planned under contemplated projects for irrigating 6,30,882 acres new ayacut in Guntur, Prakasam, Kurnool, Kadapa and Anantapur districts

Plea of Telangana

Ask AP to desist from making misleading allegations against the projects of Telangana intended to serve drought-prone and backward areas within the Krishna Basin

Prevent AP from undertaking any new projects, expansions or drawals of water without due appraisal, recommendation and approval of the river board, Apex Council until finalisation of water shares by KWDT-II

Take to the notice of MoJS the violations of AP highlighted by Telangana