Telangana State, AP agree on water sharing

​New Delhi: The Apex Council meeting called for by the Union Water Resources Ministry on river water disputes between the two Telugu States concluded on Wednesday with an agreement on installing telemetry system to keep a tab on water utilisation by both at all major projects. It also agreed to constitute a joint committee of engineers to study water availability in River Krishna for the Telugu states.

• Chief Ministers decide to keep tabs on utilisation of Krishna water
• Joint committee of engineers to study water availability in Krishna

Speaking to the media later, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said the Chief Ministers of both the states were firm that the issue should be resolved cordially and it was a welcome attitude. Resolving water disputes would be easier if the states adopted such a stand, Uma Bharti said complimenting the Chief Ministers.

The Union Minister said that it was agreed to form the joint committee with engineers from both the states and the Central Water Commission (CWC) to evaluate the water availability in the Krishna river and the inflows and outflows.

A copy of the report would be made available to Brijesh Kumar Tribunal hearing the dispute of Krishna River Basin States of AP, Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, to make its job easier in deciding the allocations. It was also agreed to prioritise drinking water in the meanwhile. The Chief Ministers themselves put forth the suggestion for installing telemetry system on all major projects, she said.

Earlier, both the Chief Ministers, in their individual presentations, emphatically defended their stated positions with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister firmly opposing the construction of Palamuru- Ranga Reddy and Dindi Lift Irrigation Schemes by Telangana terming them as new and the latter defending the same vehemently as "the ones cleared by the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh State". Each had his own interpretation of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 to justify their arguments.

Intervening at this juncture, Uma Bharti, is said to have suggested that a comprehensive study of water availability and utilisation would go a long way in resolving the disputes and advised the two CMs to focus on the same. Once the two agreed, there was little to differ and the suggestions to have a telemetry system in place and to form a committee were readily accepted.

The meeting was expected to focus on the matters referred to the Ministry by the Supreme Court in the petition filed by a group of farmers led by Alla Venkata Gopalakrishna Rao of Andhra Pradesh - Palamuru and Dindi Lift Irrigation Schemes taken up by the Telangana government in the Krishna basin.

The AP Government has been opposing the projects terming them as new projects planned by the Telangana government, while the latter was insisting that the schemes were approved during the united AP regimes.

The Water Ministry had informed a 6-point agenda for the meeting that it would discuss projects referred by the SC, seek a working arrangement for sharing of water, have a transparent mechanism for measuring outflows and inflows at different locations and reservoirs, to evolve a mechanism for replenishment and over/ under drawal by the two States in a given water year and establish principles for sharing Godavari water diverted to Krishna.