CM urges PM not to proceed with new terms of reference

New Delhi: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy urgedPrime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the authorities concerned not to proceed further on the terms of reference given to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II under Section 5(1) of ISRWD Act, 1956 as the unilateral reference would jeopardise the interests of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

In a memorandum submitted the Prime Minister here on Friday, the Chief Minister said, “I am of the firm view that such unilateral reference to an Inter State River Water Dispute Tribunal only for two states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) to the absolute exclusion of the other two basin states (Maharashtra and Karnataka) is not only unscientific but is also against the overall judicious use of water resources as a national asset,” and urged the Prime Minister to intervene immediately on the matter.

He said in the memorandum that in the earlier meetings, a working arrangement related to the regulation of waters by KRMB was made according to which 512 tmc ft to Andhra Pradesh and 299 tmc ft to Telangana out of 811 tmc ft allocated to the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a tripartite agreement signed by Government of India and Governments of AP and Telangana.

The Chief Minister said that he brought to the notice of the minister for Jala Shakti on August 17, 2021 and subsequently on June 25, 2022 to take a judicious decision in regard to non-maintainability of the complaints given by the Telangana government under law without disturbing the settled allocations by the Tribunals.

While this is the situation, the people of Andhra Pradesh are shocked to know about the Union Cabinet approval on October 4, 2023 for issue of Terms of Reference (ToR) to KWDT-II under Section 5(1) of ISRWD Act, 1956 on the request of the Telangana as per its complaint dated July 14, 2014.

He appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene immediately and direct the concerned authorities not to proceed further on the terms of reference given to the KWDT-II.