Telangana, AP spar over power generation at Srisailam

Hyderabad: Fresh controversy has erupted between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the maintenance of Srisailam project and utilisation of Krishna waters for power generation.

The Andhra Pradesh government complained to the Krishna River Management Board that Telangana Genco was generating power from June 2 and this "unnecessary drawal of water from the Srisailam project would deplete the water level of the reservoir and would prove to be detrimental to Andhra Pradesh as the state would be deprived of water for drinking and irrigation purposes." It further complained that the TS government was utilising the water without the permission of the KRMB.

Following this, the Jal Shakthi ministry on June 16 asked Telangana Genco to stop generation of power by drawing water from Srisailam.

However, on Monday the Telangana Genco decided to continue power generation and also utilise 100 per cent installed capacity of hydel power which is around 2,500 MW to meet the growing energy needs of the state.

Officials said that the state Cabinet had recently approved the proposal to generate power up to 100 per cent installed capacity to meet the growing energy needs mainly to run the pumphouses set up at the Kaleshwaram project to lift water from river Godavari and fill the reservoirs during the rainy season.

Telangana has been permitted to generate power when the reservoirs received good inflows. "There is no need to halt the power generation as the T state was utilising water as per the allocations only," a senior official said.