KRMB asks AP, TS to settle with 66:34 water sharing

Hyderabad: The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) have decided to continue the allocation at the same ratio for 2022-23 water year beginning from June 1 despite the Telangana's government objection to 66:34 water sharing ration between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

It is to mention here that the senior officials from Telangana side had demanded for 50-50 sharing of Krishna river water as the ad hoc was made as per the 2013 water year. The KRMB is respond had said that it has no power to reallocate water sharing and only the water tribunal has rights or power of reallocating water sharing and denied to reallocate 50-50 water sharing. The Telangana government has asked the KRMB board to recommend the tribunal about its demand of restricting the Andhra Pradesh government from using not more than 34 tmcft water from the Srisailam reservoir. Special chief secretary Rajat Kumar from Telangana government took part in KRMB meeting that took place on Friday which discussed water allocation, dam safety, detailed reports of various projects and power generation from Srisailam reservoir.

Rajat Kumar said that in the past few years, around 30 lakh acres of new ayacut was added but Telangana needed 225 tmcft more than the allocated sharing. He clarified that the government would go ahead with the hydel power generation from Srisailam. The AP government raised several objections to the hydel power generation by Telangana from Srisailam. It is said that the board also discussed about DPRs of various projects under Krishna basin. The officials stated that DPRs of 13 projects are ready. The board has instructed both the governments to submit the DPRs within a month failing which the governments have to submit the status report. The KRMB board also asked to look into power generation and water release from Srisailam issues under 6-member committee with 2 from KRMB, 2 chief engineers and 2 engineers-in-chief from both the states.

The board also discussed the dam safety issues which was estimated that Rs 800 crore for Srisailam, Rs 10 crore for Pulichintala and Rs 20 crore for Nagarjunasagar would be required for the repairs.