New panel to end water rows between TG & AP

Hyderabad/New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has formally notified the constitution of a high-level committee to examine and resolve water-related issues between the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. According to officials, the move comes “as part of the Government of India’s continued commitment to cooperative federalism and its sustained efforts over the past 11 years to facilitate dialogue and resolution of disputes between the two Telugu States”.

On Friday, officials claimed that the Centre has consistently provided platforms for coordination and technical examination of disputes. To address the Krishna River water sharing issue, the Government of India notified additional terms of reference to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) on October 6, 2023. While the tribunal’s two-year tenure ended on August 1, 2025, ongoing hearings necessitated an extension until July 31, 2026. This extension, the Ministry said, reflects “the Centre’s determination to ensure equitable solutions”.

Further, as per Chapter IX, Section 84 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, an Apex Council was constituted comprising the Union Minister of Jal Shakti and the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Council met on July 16, 2025, in New Delhi under the leadership of Union Minister for Water Resources C R Patil, with both Chief Ministers in attendance. During the meeting, both leaders raised concerns over water disputes, leading to the decision to form a joint committee with representatives from the Centre and both States to examine issues from a technical perspective.

Following nominations from the Telangana government on December 23, 2025, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has now notified the new committee. The committee will be chaired by the Chairperson of the Central Water Commission (CWC). Telangana will be represented by the Advisor to the Water Resources Department (Irrigation), the Principal Secretary of the Irrigation Department, the Special Secretary to the Government, and the Engineer-in-Chief.

Andhra Pradesh will be represented by the Special Secretary of the Water Resources Department (Irrigation), the Advisor to the Water Resources Department, the Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation), and the Chief Engineer.

In addition, the Chairpersons of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), the Chief Engineer of the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), and the Chief Engineer of the Central Water Commission (CWC) will serve as members.