KRMB allocates 4% more water to Telangana

Hyderabad: Telangana has got much-needed relief in the allocation of Krishna river water this year. The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on Saturday accepted the Telangana government’s request for allocation of river water in 66:34 ratio between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the available water. During the previous year, Telangana could utilise only 30 per cent and AP got 70 per cent. As per the new agreement, Telangana will utilise 34 per cent of the 330 TMC of Krishna waters.

KRMB chairman SK Srivastava held a marathon meeting with TS and AP Irrigation officials attended by TS Special Chief Secretary SK Joshi and his AP counterpart Shashibhushan Kumar in Hyderabad. On the request of Andhra Pradesh, the Board also decided to constitute an official committee to study water losses registered at the Nagarjuna Sagar left canal and at minor irrigation schemes.

The KRMB rejected Telangana demand to conduct an enquiry into the tampering of telemetry system installed at Pothireddypadu Head Regulator. The Board chairman clarified that the telemetry system was tamper-proof, and the second stage telemetry system would be installed soon at the identified points by both AP and Telangana governments. Srivastava said the board agreed to study the working manual and asked the two state governments to study the manual in detail.

The official said the KRMB had also accepted the demand to consider 20 per cent of the water should be used only for drinking needs in the allocations. The demand to bring the officials working in the joint projects under the purview of KRMB was rejected in the meetings. A discussion on the Pattiseema project taken up by Andhra government was also not allowed.