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2T States agree on water front
Amidst all the sabre-rattling in the political slug-fest between the 2 Telugu speaking States Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the first hope of peace blossomed on the water front. A meeting called by the Krishna Waters Management Board of the Union Water Resources Ministry here on Thursday reportedly agreed to have a tentative committee to deal with water release and the add-on issues.
Agreement on release of 16.78 tcm ft Krishna water for Hyderabad
New Delhi: Amidst all the sabre-rattling in the political slug-fest between the 2 Telugu speaking States Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the first hope of peace blossomed on the water front. A meeting called by the Krishna Waters Management Board of the Union Water Resources Ministry here on Thursday reportedly agreed to have a tentative committee to deal with water release and the add-on issues.
The committee mooted by the Board will comprise Engineers-in-Chief of both the States and a Chief Engineer of the Central Water Commission to handle the ‘delicate yet crucial’ issues related to sharing of Krishna Waters. Also there has been an agreement to release 16.78 TMC ft for Hyderabad drinking water purpose under the joint quota. Both the groups agreed to consider the capital consumption as joint consumption out of their quotas and hence any diversion of drinking water from Krishna sources should not lead to any confrontation.
The committee would also look into the operation of sluices on projects and barrages on Krishna. As for Nagarjunasagar water sharing, AP would get 164 TMC ft and the TS would be entitled to 100 TMC ft. At Prakasm Barrage it would be 181.2 TMC ft for AP. Out of a total of 811 TMC ft of Krishna water, 299 TMC ft would be the entitlement of Telangana and 512 TMC ft would go to AP.
The viewpoint of both the governments would be assessed on Friday too on the other projects on Krishna and its related differences. Both the groups presented their say forcibly but with a mutual give and take, according to the sources. The meeting was attended by Vidyasagar Rao, advisor, to the Telangana Government, S K Joshi, Chief Engineer and Adityanath Das, Principal Secretary, Irrigation, AP, and Venkateswar Rao, Chief Secretary.
The Committee shall oversee not only the dates of water release from Krishna but also the quantum and the management of the sluices, much to the relief of the citizens of the two States. If this arrangement holds water, then a major irritant hindering the normality between the two States would be removed.
The claims and counterclaims of the leaders laced with political acrimony of all these days were ready to explode into a major flash-point between the two States. The problem would have been compounded during lean water periods. The Board also suggested to the Governments to avoid a clash between its uniform forces as witnessed at Nagarjunasagar in the past as it sends a wrong signal all across.
A certain maturity was needed in dealing with delicate situations, particularly over water issues, it was told to them. But, how much of this would materialise and how much bonhomie would get evaporated over the present political imbroglio over what began as a cash-for-vote scam is to be seen.
By:W Chandrakanth
