Notify KRMB jurisdiction, Telangana BJP urges Centre

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party State chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar wrote to the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking his intervention to notify the jurisdiction of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to protect the legitimate interests of Telangana of its rightful share in Krishna waters.

In his letter, the Karimnagar MP said that the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT-I) has awarded 811 tmc ft of water to be utilised by the then combined state of Andhra Pradesh. The KWDT-II (Brijesh Kumar Tribunal) has made changes in the year 2010, but the same have not been published yet as the matter is pending with the Supreme Court. Following this, the current utilisation of waters being followed is as per the KWDT-I decision.

Further, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA-2014), the KRMB and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) were set up by the Centre to operate and maintain all the projects belonging to both the States on inter-state rivers of Krishna and the Godavari respectively. However, their jurisdiction has not been notified so far, he pointed out.

He said that on the bifurcation of united AP, both the States had worked out a temporary arrangement for water distribution among themselves out of the 811 tmc ft of water. But, "Telangana government led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had utterly failed in protecting the interests of Telangana and its people, agreeing to 299 tmc ft to be utilised by Telangana and the remaining 512 tmc ft by Andhra Pradesh.

Terming it unjustified, he said that 68.5 per cent of the catchment area of Krishna basin lies within Telangana. Accordingly, the State should get 555 tmc ft (68.5 per cent of 811 tmc ft) as its due share. But, by agreeing to 299 tmc ft only, KCR has sabotaged the interests of the State by failing to get its due share of 555 tmc ft.

Against this backdrop, the AP had issued a GO No 203 for the construction of Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) to pump 3 tmc ft of water, upgradation of Pothireddypadu head regulator canal system to draw 80,000 cusecs of water, both from the foreshore of Srisailam reservoir and other upgradation works in the existing canal system of Galeru-Nagari project to draw another 70,000 cusecs of water from Srisailam. However, these projects are illegal and are in violation of the water allocations made by KWDT-I. As per the APRA-2014, any new irrigation project or upgradation of the existing project on River Krishna should have the approval of the Apex Council and KRMB. This was not obtained by AP.

Bandi pointed out that how the Telangana government has failed to withdraw its petition in the Supreme Court lead to failure on the part of the Telangana government to allow the Centre to refer the issue to KWDT-II, also, not attending the Apex Council meeting on August 5,2021 by the Chief Minister.

"Since KCR is in hand-in-glove with the CM of AP and failed to protect the water rights of Telangana," he requested the Union Minister to notify the jurisdiction of KRMB at the earliest so that the legitimate water rights of Telangana were protected by the Board, until the KWDT-II or a new tribunal is formed.